Case studies on the progress of cervical cancer screening programs in Bhutan, India, and Türkiye

Abstract

International stakeholders gathered in New Delhi, India, in December 2022 to share experiences on human papillomaviruses (HPV) prevention and control strategies. As part of a supplementary publication from the meeting proceedings, this paper describes secondary HPV prevention strategies highlighting the varying degrees of progress and challenges through case studies from Bhutan, India, and Türkiye. India has implemented national screening guidelines, primarily using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), but achieving a low coverage rate of 1.9% (2022). In contrast, Bhutan and Türkiye have redesigned and established HPV-based cervical screening programs targeting women aged 30-65, achieving 77% (2022) and 95% (2019) coverage among women ever screened, respectively. Lessons learned include utilising patient health information management systems, analysing optimal context-specific HPV testing strategies and ensuring use and continuous supply of clinically validated HPV tests.