Reasonable Solutions:
Once in a lifetime screening. Luckily many solutions yielding significant results don’t require the extensive list of screening program needs mentioned above, and creativity along with research has indicated more simple screening methods.
The WHO estimates that a one-time screening among women around the age of 40 could reduce the chance of fatality due to cervical cancer by 25-30% if adequately followed up. Since cervical cancer usually progresses slowly, this once-in-a-lifetime screening could prevent abnormal cells from becoming fatal.
The wonders of vinegar - VIA. The most recommended and accessible method of screening for cervical cancer in low resource settings is called Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA). A comparatively cost-effective method, this test involves swabbing the cervix with vinegar (acetic acid), which will highlight differences in cell structure and absorption rates, turning the precancerous cells white. Health care providers can use this method without magnification, using a light source and their eyes to identify a need for further investigation. Studies have demonstrated that this is a very effective method of identifying the precursors or existence of cervical cancer, with different studies indicating that VIA is able to detect between 65 and 95 percent of cases requiring further examination. While not as in-depth as a PAP test, and less effective on post-menopausal women due to physiological changes, the accessibility of VIA makes it a great solution for low resource settings. With adequate training, this test can also be performed by nurses and midwives in various locations, better ensuring that women are screened. In some cases, VIA has added a low power magnification to the procedure, indicating even more accurate results. Requiring comparatively minimal infrastructure, this low-tech approach provides a great opportunity for low resource countries and countries in transition to detect cervical cancer – one step toward stopping it from needlessly taking women’s lives.
HPV Vaccine- A Matter of Time?
Recently, developed countries have seen the advent of the HPV vaccine, now accessible to girls and women as an effective means of preventing cervical cancer. Although not without controversy, the vaccine has been accepted as a method to protect people from cancers related to HPV. Will this vaccine trickle down and be accessible in low resource countries? Likely not without pressure on governments, institutions and pharmaceutical companies.It is a matter of injustice to have a large part of the solution to the majority of cervical cancers presented only to the population who suffers its burden the least.The vaccine is seen as one of the best and most realistic methods of preventing cervical cancer in developing countries. While building the infrastructure and capabilities for a system that could provide PAP testing and other comprehensive exams remains ideal, the vaccine would rapidly reduce the numbers of women contracting HPV each year, which currently totals over half a million cases annually. While the vaccine works best in combination with screening, it provides an opportunity for prevention. Research is currently underway to determine the requirements and best practices for lobbying for and implementing a vaccine program in low resource countries.
