Assessing Pocket Colposcope for screening of Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer remains a significant health concern, especially in low-resource settings. With the introduction of the pocket colposcope and the planned implementation research, more women are expected to gain access to early detection and timely interventions. On 13 May 2024, a ʻWorkshop on Pocket Colposcope for Screening of Cervical Cancer: Implementation Researchʼ was held at the EPI Bhaban, DGHS, Mohakhali, where Dr Md. Azizul Alim, Programme Manager for Maternal Health, MNC&AH, DGHS welcomed everyone to the workshop. Dr Fatema Khatun, Principal Investigator of the study and Associate Scientist, icddr,b presented the study updates, followed by a Q&A session with Dr Humaira Alam, Consultant, icddr,b and the study team. Dr Mustufa Mahmud, Dr Md. Shafiul Azam, DPM-CSBA & Midwifery, Maternal Health, MNC&AH, Dr Salina Akhter, DPM-EOC, Maternal Health, MNC&AH, DGHS and other representatives from MNC&AH participated in the discussion. In her presentation, Dr Fatema provided an update on the screening coverage and the status of the key informant interviews that have been conducted with the GoB officials, nurses, and doctors under the ongoing study. She further explained the classification process of the pocket colposcopy images by the study nurses. Dr Alim, in his remarks, stated that the innovation study has the potential to understand the current scenario of the cervical cancer screening programme and if required, assist in redesigning. The innovation testing on Pocket Colposcopy for screening Cervical cancer has been initiated from AdSEARCH by icddr,b in the Mymensingh and Kishoreganj districts. The study is designed as an implementation research of alternative technologies for screening, triage, and management of cervical cancer in primary and secondary care settings in Bangladesh. It involves screening women using the pocket colposcope along with VIA in primary care settings
