"In the Village That She Comes from, Most of the People Don't Know Anything about Cervical Cancer": A Health Systems Appraisal of Cervical Cancer Prevention Services in Tanzania.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. It is the most common cancer in Tanzania, resulting in about 9772 new cases and 6695 deaths each year. Research has shown an association between low levels of risk perception and knowledge of the prevention, risks, signs, etiology, and treatment of cervical cancer and low screening uptake, as contributing to high rates of cervical cancer-related mortality.

An Implementation Evaluation of the Smartphone-Enhanced Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (SEVIA) Program for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Urban and Rural Tanzania.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer screening (CCS) in lower-resource settings; however, quality varies widely, and it is difficult to maintain a well-trained cadre of providers. The Smartphone-Enhanced Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (SEVIA) program was designed to offer secure sharing of cervical images and real-time supportive supervision to health care workers, in order to improve the quality and accuracy of visual assessment of the cervix for treatment. The purpose of this evaluation was to document early learnings from patients, providers, and higher-level program stakeholders, on barriers and enablers to program implementation.

Comprehensive approach to costing cervical cancer prevention and control: a case study in the United Republic of Tanzania using the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing (C4P) tool.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a costing tool, the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing (C4P) tool, to estimate the comprehensive cost of cervical cancer primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in low- and middle-income countries. The tool was piloted in the United Republic of Tanzania, a country with a high incidence of cervical cancer with 62.5 cases per 100,000 women in 2020.

Smartphone-Enhanced Training, QA, Monitoring, and Evaluation of a Platform for Secondary Prevention of Cervical Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges to Implementation in Tanzania.

Purpose: Until human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical screening is more affordable and widely available, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is recommended by the WHO for screening in lower-resource settings. Visual inspection will still be required to assess the cervix for women whose screening is positive for high-risk HPV. However, the quality of VIA can vary widely, and it is difficult to maintain a well-trained cadre of providers.

Breast cancer early detection: A phased approach to implementation.

When breast cancer is detected and treated early, the chances of survival are very high. However, women in many settings face complex barriers to early detection, including social, economic, geographic, and other interrelated factors, which can limit their access to timely, affordable, and effective breast health care services. Previously, the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) developed resource-stratified guidelines for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.

Barriers and Facilitators to Cervical Cancer Screening, Diagnosis, Follow-Up Care and Treatment: Perspectives of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Women and Health Care Practitioners in Tanzania.

Background: This study was conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, follow-up care, and treatment among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women and clinicians and to explore the acceptability of patient navigators in Tanzania.

Materials And Methods: In 2012, we conducted four focus groups, two with HIV-positive women and two with clinicians who perform cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, follow-up care, and treatment. Transcriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Acceptance of peer navigators to reduce barriers to cervical cancer screening and treatment among women with HIV infection in Tanzania.

Objective: To identify barriers to cervical cancer screening and treatment, and determine acceptance toward peer navigators (PNs) to reduce barriers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among women with HIV infection aged 19 years or older attending HIV clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between May and August 2012. Data for sociodemographic characteristics, barriers, knowledge and attitude toward cervical cancer screening and treatment, and PNs were collected by questionnaire.

Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Training Strategy Among Health Care Workers Screening for Cervical Cancer in Northern Tanzania: The Kilimanjaro Method.

Purpose: Almost nine of 10 deaths resulting from cervical cancer occur in low-income countries. Visual inspection under acetic acid (VIA) is an evidence-based, cost-effective approach to cervical cancer screening (CCS), but challenges to effective implementation include health provider training costs, provider turnover, and skills retention. We hypothesized that a smartphone camera and use of cervical image transfer for real-time mentorship by experts located distantly across a closed user group through a commercially available smartphone application would be both feasible and effective in enhancing VIA skills among CCS providers in Tanzania.

Integrating HIV testing into cervical cancer screening in Tanzania: an analysis of routine service delivery statistics.

Background: While the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer (CaCx) and acquiring HIV is high for women in Tanzania, most women have not tested for HIV in the past year and most have never been screened for CaCx. Good management of both diseases, which have a synergistic relationship, requires integrated screening, prevention, and treatment services. The aim of this analysis is to assess the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of integrating HIV testing into CaCx prevention services in Tanzania, so as to inform scale-up strategies.

Health seeking behavior among cancer patients attending Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Tanzania.

Objectives: To characterize cancer patients and to determine the associated health seeking behaviours.

Methods: Between September 2005 and February 2006, we collected data using structured and semi-structured interviews among new cancer patients attending the ORCI. Findings are summarized using univarite and bivariate analyses.