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
Review
. 2021 Jul 3;13(4):307-317.
doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihaa062.

A comparative analysis of cervical cancer prevention between Nigeria and Nordic countries that have experienced a decline in cervical cancer incidence

Helen I Anyasi  1 , Anna M Foss  2
Affiliations
Review

A comparative analysis of cervical cancer prevention between Nigeria and Nordic countries that have experienced a decline in cervical cancer incidence

Helen I Anyasi et al. Int Health. .

Abstract

Background: A modelling analysis carried out in 2014 suggested that, without cervical cancer screening programmes, the incidence of cervical cancer in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden would have been as high as that in some low- and middle-income countries. We compare programme strategies between Nigeria and these Nordic countries and develop translatable recommendations.

Methods: A literature review using a systematic approach through Medline, Popline, Global Health, CINAHL PLUS, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Africa Wide and WHO databases was conducted.

Results: Fifteen journal articles and two grey literature reports met our criteria. Six descriptive studies from Nigeria noted that services in Nigeria were mainly provided in urban secondary/tertiary facilities and that uptake was low even where screening was free. Trials in Nigeria and Sweden noted that subsidies and free programmes alone did not improve uptake; a Danish trial demonstrated that reminders and invitations issued by general practitioners improved participation.

Conclusion: Free screening programmes are important but should also consider incentivisation of treatment when needed and demand creation among health workers. Additionally, effective monitoring and evaluation of programme data are key to improving and maintaining quality. More broadly, we suggest that Nigeria can build success through stakeholder-led implementation of well-defined policies with national consensus to ensure coordination and sustainability.

Keywords: Nigeria; Scandinavian and Nordic countries; cervical cancer; prevention and control; public health systems research; review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA23 diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bruni L, Barrionuevo-Rosas L, Albero Get al. Human Papillomavirus and related diseases report NIGERIA. 2017. http://www.hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/NGA.pdf (accessed 1 November 2017).
    1. Schiffman M, Castle PE, Jeronimo Jet al. Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Lancet. 2007;370:890–907. - PubMed
    1. International Agency for Cancer Research/World Health Organization . Nigeria FactSheet: Globocan 2018. 2019. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/566-nigeria-fact-s... (accessed 5 October 2019).
    1. Eze JN, Emeka-Irem EN, Edegbe FO. A six-year study of the clinical presentation of cervical cancer and the management challenges encountered at a state teaching hospital in southeast Nigeria. Clin Med Insights Oncol. 2013;7:151–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Adewuyi S, Shittu S, Rafindadi A. Sociodemographic and clinicopathologic characterization of cervical cancers in northern Nigeria. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2008;XXIX:61–4. - PubMed