Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Jul 21:27:215.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2017.27.215.12994. eCollection 2017.

Cervical cancer in Zimbabwe: a situation analysis

Oppah Kuguyo  1 , Alice Matimba  1 , Nomsa Tsikai  2 , Thulani Magwali  3 , Mugove Madziyire  3 , Muchabayiwa Gidiri  3 , Collet Dandara  4 , Charles Nhachi  1
Affiliations

Cervical cancer in Zimbabwe: a situation analysis

Oppah Kuguyo et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the wide-spread availability of cervical cancer prevention and screening programs in developed countries, the morbidity and mortality rates of cervical cancer in Zimbabwe are still very high. Limited resources as well as the high HIV prevalence are contributors to the high burden of cervical cancer. This paper aims to analyse the policies, frameworks and current practices in the management of cervical cancer in Zimbabwe.

Methods: A review of national documents and published literature on cervical cancer prevention, screening, treatment and knowledge in Zimbabwe was done. Informal interviews were conducted to assess the practices of cervical cancer management.

Results: Through strategic collaboration, a pilot for the HPV vaccination program is underway. The VIAC national cervical cancer screening program is being adopted into the current healthcare system. With regards to the treatment of precancerous lesions we found that the "see and treat" program has been implemented in colposcopy clinics. In addition, there are two multidisciplinary cancer treatment clinics installed in two central public hospitals. The general knowledge and understanding of cervical cancer is poor in Zimbabwe.

Conclusion: Limitations in resources, infrastructure, manpower, delays in treatment and patient knowledge play a role in the high morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer in Zimbabwe. The Ministry of Health needs to increase funding to expedite the availability of HPV vaccine and screening programs. Community engagement initiatives to raise awareness on cervical cancer should be established to provide education on how to prevent the development of cervical cancer, as well as promote screening for early detection.

Keywords: HPV testing; HPV vaccine; LMIC; Sub-Saharan Africa; VIAC; Zimbabwe; cervical cancer; pap smear; screening; treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the articles searches yielded, excluded and reviewed for the purpose of this study
Figure 2
Figure 2
A geographical representation of where HPV vaccine is being run as a pilot and sites with the treatment centres for pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bruni L, Barrionuevo-Rosas L, Albero G, Serrano B, Mena M, Gómez D, Muñoz J, Bosch FX, de Sanjosé S. ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cancer (HPV Information Centre) Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases in the World. 2016. Summary Report 15 December.
    1. World Health Organization . International agency for research in cancer. 2012. Accessed 6thMay 2016.
    1. Mosha D, Mahande M, Ahaz J, Mosha M, Njau B, Kitali B, Obure J. Factors associated with management of cervical cancer patients at KCMC Hospital, Tanzania: a retrospective cross-sectional study. Tanzania Journal of Health Research. 2009;11(2):70–4.
    1. Forhan SE, Godfrey CC, Watts DH, Langley CL. A systematic review of the effects of visual inspection with acetic acid, cryotherapy and loop electrosurgical excision procedures for cervical dysplasia in HIV-infected women in low-and middle- income countries. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndrome. 2015;68(3):350–6. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organisation . Globocan. 2012. Accessed on 25 April 2017.

MeSH terms

Substances