Cervical Cancer Screening Project
WHERE: Mwandi District, Western Province and Kanyama Compound, Lusaka District
WHY:
Cancer remains a major public health challenge in Zambia, with cervical cancer ranking among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women. Prior to this project, limited access to screening services, shortages of trained healthcare providers, and the absence of a comprehensive national screening programme resulted in late diagnosis and poor treatment outcomes.
While Access to Health Zambia, with support from BD, had successfully implemented maternal, newborn, child health (MNCH) and WASH interventions in Mwandi District through the CHAMPS programme, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) particularly cervical cancer had received limited attention. This project was therefore designed to address this gap by integrating cervical cancer prevention and early detection into existing community health platforms.
Zambia has one of the highest cervical cancer burdens in the region. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the estimated incidence rate of cervical cancer was 24.4 new cases per 100,000 women per year (2020). Data from the Zambia National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) indicated that:
• Only 20% of cervical cancer cases were diagnosed at Stage I
• Approximately 70% were diagnosed at Stage III or IV (2019)
• Over 50% of cancer cases overall were detected at an advanced stage
Additionally, a 2018 Ministry of Health survey showed that only 12% of women in rural areas had ever undergone a Pap smear or HPV test. These challenges, combined with a shortage of specialised healthcare workers (1.5 oncologists per million people in 2020), underscored the urgent need for community-based cervical cancer screening services in underserved urban and rural settings such as Mwandi and Kanyama.
Funder: BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
Project Description (What):
The Cervical Cancer Community Screening Project successfully expanded access to early detection and prevention services for women by leveraging the CHAMPS community health delivery model.
Building on the success of CHAMPS in Mwandi District where improved antenatal attendance, skilled facility deliveries, extensive household outreach, strengthened health infrastructure, WASH interventions, and livelihood support had already demonstrated strong community impact the project integrated cervical cancer screening into existing community and health facility platforms.
Trained community health workers played a central role in demand creation, community sensitization, referrals, and follow-up, ensuring that women accessed timely screening services. The project was also implemented in Kanyama Compound, Lusaka, where high population density and poor maternal and child health indicators necessitated targeted cervical cancer screening interventions.
Project Objectives:
• Improved access to cervical cancer screening services among women in Mwandi District and Kanyama Compound
• Promoted early detection of cervical cancer to enhance treatment outcomes and reduce mortality
• Strengthened community awareness and health-seeking behaviour related to cervical cancer prevention
• Successfully integrated cervical cancer screening into existing community health platforms under the CHAMPS model
