Delivering cervical cancer prevention services in low‐resource settings

Abstract

The goals of any cervical cancer prevention program should be threefold: to achieve high coverage of the population at risk, to screen women with an accurate test as part of high-quality services, and to ensure that women with positive test results are properly managed. This article focuses on the experiences of the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP) in delivery of screening and treatment services as part of cervical cancer prevention projects in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Research and experience show that cervical cancer can be prevented when strategies and services are well planned and well managed and when attention is paid to program monitoring and evaluation. Coordination of program components, reduction of the number of visits, improvement of service quality, and flexibility in how services are delivered are all essential features of an effective service.

Statistical Modelling and Forecasting of Cervix Cancer Cases in Radiation Oncology Treatment: A Hospital Based Study from Western Nepal

“…Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide (Bradley, 2005). The South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka jointly contribute to nearly one-third of the global cervical cancer burden (Ferlay et al, 2010).…”

Bolivian Health Providers' Attitudes Toward Alternative Technologies for Cervical Cancer Prevention: A Focus on Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Cryotherapy

“…26 In fact, a recent PAHO demonstration project conducted in Peru revealed that women screened with VIA were more likely to receive treatment for precancerous lesions than those screened using cytology. 27 Adequate follow-up of women with positive Pap test results has been the main challenge to the successful implementation of cytology-based programs in LAC, including Bolivia, where < 20% of eligible women receive treatment for precancerous lesions.…”

Making the case for cervical cancer prevention: what about equity?

“…Unlike the developed world, where Pap smear screening has become a routine part of women's health care, most women in developing countries have little or no access to screening or prevention services. 16 In the developed world, more than 75% of women have participated in some type of screening programme in the past five years, while less than 5% of women in the developing world have been screened. The challenges of implementing cervical cancer screening programmes include financial resource constraints, competing health needs, limited human resources, and poor infrastructure and logistical capacity of health systems.…”