Women's Health Initiative Cervical Cancer Prevention
115
Healthcare practitioners certified in screening tecnique
77
Healthcare practitioners certified in cervical cancer ablation treatment
9
Healthcare practitioners trained to become trainers
11,487+
Women screened for cervical cance
1007+
Women who tested positive for pre-cancerous lesions & received immediate ablation treatment
Why this work is important
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Cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable, yet it claims more than 300,000 lives per year. The burden from cervical cancer affects the entire family, as a sufferer is unable to attend to her children and other responsibilities. In addition, research shows that children who are orphaned due to cervical cancer are likely to suffer from undernourishment, neglect and higher than average mortality. However, early detection, when a woman is asymptomatic, can save lives.
“My mother died of cervical cancer, because it was detected too late. My son needs a mother. That is why I came for screening.”
Methodology
Our key to success is a partnership model that empowers and trains local healthcare providers in areas where expertise and capacity are suboptimal. We utilize "see and treat" techniques developed by Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics. According to Journal of the American Medical Association and Journal of the National Cancer Institute, it is the most cost-effective (fewest dollars spent per life-year saved) cervical cancer prevention strategy for low resource areas. In 2024 we incorporated artificial intelligence to our protocol, to improve screening efficiency and accuracy.
Where We Work
and Why
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer deaths in Ghana. Every year, more than 3,000 women are diagnosed and more than 2,000 die, constituting a mortality rate of 67%.
Mae Sot, Thailand is home to a large population of refugees and displaced persons who have fled Myanmar to escape war and oppression. Prior to launching the program in Mae La Refugee Camp, Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp and Mae Tao Clinic, 90% of women had never been screened.
According to WHO, Myanmar has the second worst healthcare system in the world, spending less than US$20 annually per capita on healthcare. Women are often given low priority and find themselves at the back of the line. Every year, approximately 5,286 women in Myanmar are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and an estimated 2,998 die from the disease. It is the most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.
Bolivia has one of the world's highest rates of cervical cancer. More than 2,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, with an estimated 940 attributable deaths per year. It is the deadliest type of cancer in Bolivia. Before launching the program, only 15% of eligible women were screened for cervical cancer, and only half of those screened followed up for the results.
