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

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.

Determinants of Mortality among Cervical Cancer Patients Attending in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: Institutional-Based Retrospective Study

“…e incidence rate of mortality among cervical cancer patients was 15.6 per 100 person-years in the current study. is finding is lower than the study conducted in Brazil with mortality rate of 18.9% [19], but in line with Nigerian finding with 14.8% incidence rates of mortality [20].…”

Addressing missed opportunities for cervical cancer screening in Nigeria: a nursing workforce approach

“…Nigeria runs a three-tier health system across the governance levels (federal – tertiary healthcare; state – secondary healthcare; and local government – primary healthcare) and CCS services are expected to be provided at all levels [ 16 ]. On the contrary, CCS services in Nigeria are opportunistic, sparsely distributed and are mostly accessed in some secondary and tertiary health institutions [ 9 , 16 , 17 ]. Such an opportunistic approach has only reached less than 9% of eligible Nigerian women with CCS services, despite the increasing burden of the disease.…”

“…Additionally, due to their sex and shared susceptibility to cervical cancer, female nurses may relate better with women’s experiences and be better suited to meeting their needs [ 26 , 28 ]. To meet the global cervical cancer elimination targets by Nigeria, the availability and equitable distribution of competent female nurses that can provide CCS services is a viable approach [ 9 , 37 ].…”

“…Despite the prospects offered by the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, issues such as the inability of vaccines to protect against all HPV strains, high cost especially for poor countries and inequalities in vaccine access make screening a go-to in the continuum of efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, especially in LMICs [ 7 , 8 ]. The level of progress in the implementation of the organised population-based cervical cancer screening (CCS) programme has been linked to the disparities in the burden of cervical cancer between high-income and the world’s poorest countries [ 1 , 9 ].…”

Depression before and after diagnostic procedures among women with abnormal finding of Papanicolaou screening test

“…1 Based on GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates, the highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are registered in developing countries, where a screening program is just being implemented or has not yet been introduced. [2][3][4] From 2013, Serbia has implemented Papanicolaou smear testing for population screening for cervical cancer. 5 In 2020, rates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in Serbia were among the highest rates in Europe.…”