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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CERVICAL CANCER IN MAINLAND TANZANIA
Abstract
Objective: To determine factors influencing early diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer
in Tanzania women.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Forty primary health care facilities, twenty districffregional and four referral
(tertiary) hospitals in mainland Tanzania.
Results: The most basic equipment for cytology-based cervical cancer were available at all
health care facilities. However, screening against cervical cancer was appallingly inadequate
at all levels of health care delivery system. Apart from medical doctors at tertiary level, other
medical personnel including nurses were poorly or hardly utilised for cervical cancer
screening. Treatment facilities for pre-cancerous lesions in most district, regional and even
tertiary hospitals were inadequate or non-existent despite being very simple, cheap and yet
very effective. There was total lack of organised institutional or national policy guidelines on
cervical cancer screening in Tanzania.
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to introduce systematic screening against cervical
cancer and treatment of precursor lesions at all levels of health care delivery system in
Tanzania. A national policy guideline should be urgently drawn addressing specifically
frequency of screening and at what age to start screening.
in Tanzania women.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Forty primary health care facilities, twenty districffregional and four referral
(tertiary) hospitals in mainland Tanzania.
Results: The most basic equipment for cytology-based cervical cancer were available at all
health care facilities. However, screening against cervical cancer was appallingly inadequate
at all levels of health care delivery system. Apart from medical doctors at tertiary level, other
medical personnel including nurses were poorly or hardly utilised for cervical cancer
screening. Treatment facilities for pre-cancerous lesions in most district, regional and even
tertiary hospitals were inadequate or non-existent despite being very simple, cheap and yet
very effective. There was total lack of organised institutional or national policy guidelines on
cervical cancer screening in Tanzania.
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to introduce systematic screening against cervical
cancer and treatment of precursor lesions at all levels of health care delivery system in
Tanzania. A national policy guideline should be urgently drawn addressing specifically
frequency of screening and at what age to start screening.
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