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Published in a recent edition of Reproductive Health Matters, “Cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid: operational experiences from Ghana and Thailand”

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Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, with 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths reported each year. Approximately 80% of cases occur in developing countries, where more than 95% of women have never had a pap test. Many of these cases can be avoided through early screening and treatment, and now also through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that can lead to cervical cancer.

Jhpiego has been at the vanguard of global efforts to prevent cervical cancer since 1997, when we conducted Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) clinical trials in Zimbabwe. VIA is a simple low-cost procedure that consists of swabbing the cervix with vinegar, waiting for one minute, and viewing the cervix with a light source in order to visually detect precancerous lesions.

In 1999, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Jhpiego established its Cervical Cancer Prevention (CECAP) Program. Working with colleagues and stakeholders in Thailand, Ghana, Malawi and Peru, the CECAP program pioneered a unique, medically safe, acceptable and cost-effective approach to cervical cancer prevention for low-resource settings. This approach, known as the single visit approach (SVA), uses VIA to identify the precancerous cervical lesions, followed by treatment using a freezing technique to destroy the lesions (cryotherapy), in the same visit.

Evidence shows that the SVA has a significant impact in reducing incidence and deaths from cervical cancer. Further, this simple and practical procedure can easily be implemented on a national scale to significantly reduce rates of invasive cervical cancer.

Jhpiego's Current Work

Jhpiego is currently working with countries to introduce and fully implement national cervical cancer prevention programs, provide technical assistance for the development of national policies and implementation guidelines, conduct local and regional competency-based trainings in VIA and cryotherapy, and provide leadership in advocacy activities. The CECAP program has developed training materials that are available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

More Information

For more information on Jhpiego's cervical cancer prevention programs, browse the  feature articles and news releases in the Media Center.

For additional resources on cervical cancer prevention, browse our CECAP Information Sheet and/or go to our online Publications Catalog.