Exploratory study of a long-term hospital-based cervical cancer screening program in a high HIV prevalence area of...

Malawi has the second-highest incidence and highest cervical cancer-attributed mortality worldwide. National HIV prevalence is 7.7%. Malawi implemented the Cervical Cancer Control Plan in 1999. We conducted an exploratory study of a non-government, hospital-based cervical cancer screening program established in the Southern Region.

We performed a retrospective review of outcomes from a cervical cancer screening program at a 275-bed rural mission hospital from 1/2016 - 12/2021. Female patients 18 years and older presenting for cervical cancer screening were included. Outcomes included trends in screening modality, return screening rates, abnormal screening rates, and the COVID pandemic impact. Data abstracted included demographics, HIV status, screening modality, and follow-up information.

15,432 patients were screened for cervical cancer during the study period, with an overall increase in annual number of patients screened, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Screening was initially performed via Pap testing; Visual inspection with acetic acid became the most common screening modality in 2019 (69.4%).HIV prevalence among screened patients increased over the study period to 82.0% in 2021 and was higher among return screening patients (89.0%). 4.3% of HIV-negative and 7.2% of HIV-positive women demonstrated abnormal screening results.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients screened for cervical cancer annually increased over the study period. HIV prevalence in this study was much higher than the national prevalence. These results emphasize the successful collaboration between a national program, private hospital, and HIV treatment centers, and highlight the need to increase screening among healthy women in the community.