Cyril Dim

I am a Professor / Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with experience in International Health, Health Research Methods, Project management, and medical ethics. I am committed to the research and promotion of international public health, and cervical cancer prevention among people living with HIV (PLWH) is one of my research foci. I led a team that identified significant gaps in the cervical cancer screening of PLWH in Nigeria – the findings informed the inclusion of routine cervical cancer screening in the revised Guideline for
HIV/AIDS treatment in Nigeria. I subsequently developed and piloted the Provider Initiated Cervical Cancer Counseling and Testing (PICCT) strategy aimed at improving cervical cancer screening in settings without a national protocol. My Professorial Inaugural lecture identified the Not-My-Portion Syndrome, which impedes the uptake of cervical cancer and other women’s health care services in Nigeria, and highlighted strategies to counter the syndrome. I have experience in managing large-scale community and facility-based public health studies before and during the COVID-19 era; for instance, my team recently concluded a State-wide facility-based SARS-CoV2 Sero-prevalence survey in Anambra state, Nigeria. I am therefore aware of the need for infection protection of research staff and participants during research activities in the COVID-19 era. I serve in the WHO Director General’s Expert Committee for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer Initiative that contributed to the current Global Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer launched in November 2020. I advocate for the implementation of the Global Strategy in Nigeria.
I am passionate about research, participated in a few funded research/projects, and co-authored several peerreviewed publications. I shall apply my expertise, team spirit, and motivation to the proposed Implementation
Science for Cancer Control in People Living with HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.