Abstract
BackgroundVisual inspection with acetic acid and cervicography (VIAC) is a method used to screen for cervical cancer. VIAC can be used as part of a “see and treat” strategy. Nine Harare city council health facilities offer VIAC free of charge with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of women utilising VIAC dropped by 35%. We analysed records of clients who utilise VIAC at Harare city health facilities to characterise women accessing VIAC and their outcomes to make recommendations for improving the services.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using data collected for the Harare city VIAC program. We analysed all records of clients who utilised VIAC services at nine Harare city health facilities from 1 May 2012 to 31 December 2016.ResultsWe analysed 46,217 records, the median age of the clients was 34 years [Q1 = 27: Q3 = 42]. Of the 46,217 clients screened, 3001 (6.5%) were VIAC positive, and 512 (1.1%) had suspicious of cancer lesions. The prevalence of VIAC positive ranged from 58 to 74 per 1000-screened clients over the 5 years. The prevalence of suspected cancer ranged from 9 to 14 per 1000-screened clients, and there was a general decrease in the prevalence between 2012 and 2016. Of the 3513 clients with VIAC positive or had suspicious of cancer lesions, 2090 (74.1%) did not receive treatment at the site where the screening took place.ConclusionThe majority of women who are accessing VIAC services in Harare are middle-aged, multiparous and married women. There is a treatment gap at most of the VIAC centres such that clients are referred to other centres for management. The objective of “see and treat” is not being realised.
Highlights
Visual inspection with acetic acid and cervicography (VIAC) is a method used to screen for cervical cancer
We found that among screened women the prevalence of VIAC positive was 6.5%
Angola and Mozambique, reported almost similar VIAC positive prevalence (6.6–8%) to what we found in our study [11,12,13]
Summary
Visual inspection with acetic acid and cervicography (VIAC) is a method used to screen for cervical cancer. Nine Harare city council health facilities offer VIAC free of charge with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer. We analysed records of clients who utilise VIAC at Harare city health facilities to characterise women accessing VIAC and their outcomes to make recommendations for improving the services. About 528,000 cases of cervical cancer occur annually, and over 250,000 women die from the malignancy. In sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancer ranks second among the common malignancies in women, with an estimated 94,000 cases occurring. Methods of screening include Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Gabaza et al BMC Health Services Research (2019) 19:454
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.