Situation analysis for cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment in East, Central and Southern African countries

Objective To determine the factors influencing cervical cancer diagnosis an d treatment in countries of East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA). Methods Data were collected from randomly selected primary health care cent res, district and provincial hospitals, and tertiary hospitals in each part icipating country. Health care workers were interviewed, using a questionna ire; the facilities for screening, diagnosing, and treating cervical cancer in each institution were recorded, using a previously designed checklist. Findings Although 95% of institutions at all health care levels in ECSA cou ntries had the basic infrastructure to carry out cervical cytology screenin g, only a small percentage of women were actually screened. Lack of policy guidelines, infrequent supply of basic materials, and a lack of suitable qu alified staff were the most common reasons reported. Conclusions This study demonstrates that there is an urgent need for more i nvestment in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in ECSA countri es. in these, and other countries with low resources, suitable screening pr ogrammes should be established.