Situational analysis for diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in mainland Tanzania.
OBJECTIVE
To determine factors influencing early diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in Tanzania women.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Forty primary health care facilities, twenty district/regional 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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Ngwalle
E W
EW
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 65485, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mgaya
H N
HN
Mpanju-Shumbusho
W
W
Chirenje
Z M
ZM
Kirumbi
L
L
Lebelle
T
T
Kaggwa
S
S
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009874:Operations Research; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*