Equity and unmet need of non-communicable diseases services in Saudi Arabia using a National Household Survey (2019).

BACKGROUND: Saudi Arabia is implementing a comprehensive health system transformation in health services provision, governance, and financing. Given the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), a key objective of the transformation is to integrate NCD prevention and treatment into primary care. The study objectives were to assess primary care service use for treatment of NCDs, to quantify existing inequities in preventive services utilization, and to identify regional and sociodemographic factors associated with these inequities. METHODS: Using the 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey, multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify predictors of utilization of primary care services for NCD prevention and treatment, unmet need among those with a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, and unmet need in breast and cervical cancer screening. RESULTS: Among those with an NCD diagnosis, living in a high-income household was associated with a lower probability of having an unmet need compared to those in low-income households. Furthermore, rural residents were less likely to have an unmet need compared to urban residents (OR 0.58, p=0.029). Individuals without a perceived need for healthcare within the last 12 months had three times the probability of unmet need in comparison to those with such a perceived need (p<0.001). Women in all regions had a lower probability of ever having a mammogram compared to women in the central regions around Riyadh. Women with an education above a secondary level had five times the odds of undergoing cervical cancer screening and three times the likelihood of ever having a mammogram (P=0.012, p=0.02) than other women. Compared to women in low-income households, those in middle (OR 1.99, P=0.026), upper middle (OR 3.47, p<0.001), or high-income households (OR 2.59, p<0.001) had a higher probability of having had cervical cancer screening. CONCLUSIONS: Inequities in NCD treatment and prevention services' utilization in Saudi Arabia are strongly associated with region of living, population density, wealth, income, education and perceived need for health care. More research is needed to better understand the extent of unmet primary care needs for NCD and how to address the underlying contributing factors to access inequities.

Cost-effectiveness of nonavalent HPV vaccination in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: A bivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (2vHPV) is currently used in the Netherlands; a nonavalent vaccine (9vHPV) is also licensed. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We compared the public health and economic benefits of 2vHPV- and 9vHPV-based vaccination strategies in the Netherlands over 100 years using a validated deterministic dynamic transmission metapopulation model. RESULTS: Compared to 2vHPV, the 9vHPV strategy averted an additional 3,245 cases of and 825 deaths from 9vHPV-strain-attributable cancers, 4,247 cases of and 190 deaths from recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), and 1,009,637 cases of anogenital warts (AGWs), with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €4,975 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The ICER increased in a scenario with increased HPV vaccination coverage rates and was relatively robust to one-way deterministic sensitivity analyses, with variation in the disease utility parameter having the most impact. When catch-up vaccination for individuals ≤26 years of age was added to the model, vaccinating with 9vHPV averted additional cancers and AGWs compared to 2vHPV vaccination. CONCLUSION: Our analyses predict that transitioning from a 2vHPV- to a 9vHPV-based vaccination strategy would be cost-effective in the Netherlands.

Drivers of cervical cancer prevention and management in sub-Saharan Africa: a qualitative synthesis of mixed studies.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a public health concern in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Cervical cancer screening is one of the strategies for detecting early precancerous lesions. However, many women have poor access to and utilization of screening services in the region. This review aimed to synthesize evidence on the challenges and opportunities of screening, early detection and  management of cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted a structured narrative review of studies published in English. We included studies published from 1 January 2013 to mid-2022. Studies were selected following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Key search terms (detractors and enablers, cervical cancer screening, sub-Saharan Africa) were employed to identify studies from three electronic databases (HINARI, Science Direct, and PubMed). We also conducted searches on Google Scholar to identify relevant grey literatures. A thematic analysis was conducted and themes were identified, then explained using a socio-ecological framework (intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, policy levels). RESULTS: We identified 60 studies in the final review. Cervical cancer screening and early detection and management programmes are influenced by drivers at multiple levels. Individual-level drivers included a lack of knowledge about cervical cancer and screening literacy, and a low risk in perception, attitude, susceptibility and perceived fear of test results, as well as sociodemographic characteristics of women. Interpersonal drivers were community embarrassment, women's relationships with health workers, support and encouragement, the presence of peers or relatives to model preventive behaviour, and the mothers' networks with others. At the organizational level, influencing factors were related to providers (cervical cancer screening practice, training, providers' profession type, skill of counselling and sex, expert recommendation and work commitments). At the community level, drivers of cervical cancer screening included stigma, social-cultural norms, social networks and beliefs. System- and policy-level drivers were lack of nearby facilities and geographic remoteness, resource allocation and logistics management, cost of screening, promotion policy, ownership and management, lack of decentralized cancer policy and lack of friendly infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: There were several drivers in the implementation of cervical cancer screening programmes at multiple levels. Prevention and management of cervical cancer programmes requires multilevel strategies to be implemented  across the individual level (users), community and organizational levels (providers and community users), and system and policy levels. The design and implementation of policies and programmes need to address the multilevel challenges.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention Interventions for African American Women: Implications for Promoting Health Equity.

African American women suffer under the burden of cervical cancer as they are first in mortality, diagnosed at later stages, and have a survivorship rate that is lower than the national average. The aim of our review is to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening and prevention interventions for African American women living in the United States and to assess their commitment to health equity. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus using MeSH terms related to cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV), screening and prevention, and African Americans. This resulted in 1970 articles. Studies were included if they promoted cervical screening or prevention, sampled African American women aged 18 and over, and evaluated interventions. Among the 23 articles that met inclusion criteria, there were a wide variety of intervention strategies, that is, community health workers, patient navigation, patient reminders, self-sampling collection, and HPV vaccination. Health education interventions, when coupled with patient navigation or community health workers, were effective in promoting screening participation (odds ratio: 2.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.47-4.02). There were mixed results regarding the incorporation of health equity principles. This review supports the importance of incorporating health equity principles and community based methods in screening and prevention interventions. Future research and practice should incorporate African American women's perspectives in intervention development and implementation.

Barriers to cervical cancer screening in Africa: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Africa has one of the highest burdens of cervical cancer in the world. The unacceptably high incidence and mortality rates could be reduced through implementing a comprehensive approach to its prevention and control that includes screening, which however, is low in most low-and-middle-income countries. Hence, this systematic review aims at exploring factors that prevent women from utilising cervical cancer screening services in the region. METHODS: A mixed method systematic review was conducted. A search was performed on PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, CINAHL (EBSCOHOST) and Scopus databases for articles published until May 2019 without time, language or study design limits. Two reviewers critically appraised the included studies independently using the standard quality assessment criteria for evaluating primary research papers. Results of the quantitative and mixed methods studies were transformed into qualitative data and synthesised using thematic analysis. RESULTS: From a potential 2 365 studies, 24 from 11 countries met the eligibility criteria and were selected; eight qualitative, 13 quantitative, and three that used the mixed-method approach. The primary barriers were identified as poor access to screening services, lack of awareness and knowledge on cervical cancer and screening, and socio-cultural influences. Service providers perceived lack of skills, screening equipment and supplies, and staff shortages as the major barriers to the provision of screening services. CONCLUSION: Barriers to cervical cancer screening in Africa are multifaceted and require a holistic approach that will address them concurrently at the health system, individual, interpersonal, community and structural levels. Political will complimented by stakeholder involvement is required in the development and implementation of strategies that will ensure acceptability, availability, accessibility, and affordability of screening to minimise barriers in accessing the service.

Cost-effectiveness of primary human papillomavirus triage approaches among vaccinated women in Norway: A model-based analysis.

As Norway considers revising triage approaches following their first adolescent cohort with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination entering the cervical cancer screening program, we analyzed the health impact and cost-effectiveness of alternative primary HPV triage approaches for women initiating cervical cancer screening in 2023. We used a multimodeling approach that captured HPV transmission and cervical carcinogenesis to evaluate the health benefits, harms and cost-effectiveness of alternative extended genotyping and age-based triage strategies under five-yearly primary HPV testing (including the status-quo screening strategy in Norway) for women born in 1998 (ie, age 25 in 2023). We examined 35 strategies that varied alternative groupings of high-risk HPV genotypes ("high-risk" genotypes; "medium-risk" genotypes or "intermediate-risk" genotypes), number and types of HPV included in each group, management of HPV-positive women to direct colposcopy or active surveillance, wait time for re-testing and age at which the HPV triage algorithm switched from less to more intensive strategies. Given the range of benchmarks for severity-specific cost-effectiveness thresholds in Norway, we found that the preferred strategy for vaccinated women aged 25 years in 2023 involved an age-based switch from a less to more intensive follow-up algorithm at age 30 or 35 years with HPV-16/18 genotypes in the "high-risk" group. The two potentially cost-effective strategies could reduce the number of colposcopies compared to current guidelines and simultaneously improve health benefits. Using age to guide primary HPV triage, paired with selective HPV genotype and follow-up time for re-testing, could improve both the cervical cancer program effectiveness and efficiency.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of human papillomavirus vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer in India.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represent an important strategic opportunity to prevent cervical cancer in low-middle income countries, such as India. The economic evaluation of HPV vaccines is crucial to inform public-health decisions; however, the scarce economic evaluations from India have focused on the value for money of bivalent vaccines and took a healthcare perspective. The aim of this study is to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of all available HPV vaccines in India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Papillomavirus Rapid Interface for Modelling and Economics (PRIME) model was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination of 12-year-old girls in India, from both healthcare and societal perspectives. Cervical cancer cases, deaths averted and the incremental cost per Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) averted were reported as primary outcomes. Sensitivity analysis was undertaken to handle any uncertainty or variability in the results. RESULTS: Compared with no vaccination, the incremental cost per DALY averted was USD 362.78 for nonavalent vaccine, USD 393.16 for quadrivalent vaccine and USD 432.24 for bivalent vaccine from a healthcare perspective. From a societal perspective, the incremental cost per DALY averted was USD 334.28 for nonavalent vaccine, USD 364.67 for quadrivalent vaccine and USD 403.75 for bivalent vaccine. Assuming constant prices per dose for all vaccines, the nonavalent vaccine dominated both quadrivalent and bivalent vaccines, indicating that it is the more cost-effective strategy. CONCLUSION: Vaccinating girls against HPV is a cost-effective strategy to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and mortality due to cervical cancer in India.

Chatbot-interfaced and cognitive-affective barrier-driven messages to improve colposcopy adherence after abnormal Pap test results in underserved urban women: A feasibility pilot study.

Challenges in ensuring adherence to colposcopy and follow-up recommendations, particularly within underserved communities, hinder the delivery of appropriate care. Informed by our established evidence-based program, we sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel cognitive-affective intervention delivered through a Chatbot interface, aimed to enhance colposcopy adherence within an urban inner-city population. We developed the evidence-based intervention, CervixChat, to address comprehension of colposcopy's purpose, human papillomavirus (HPV) understanding, cancer-related fatalistic beliefs, procedural concerns, and disease progression, offered in both English and Spanish. Females aged 21-65, with colposcopy appointments at an urban OBGYN clinic, were invited to participate. Enrolled patients experienced real-time counseling messages tailored via a Chatbot-driven barriers assessment, dispatched via text one week before their scheduled colposcopy. Cognitive-affective measures were assessed at baseline and through a 1-month follow-up. Participants also engaged in a brief post-intervention satisfaction survey and interview to capture their acceptance and feedback on the intervention. The primary endpoints encompassed study adherence (CervixChat response rate and follow-up survey rate) and self-evaluated intervention acceptability, with predefined feasibility benchmarks of at least 70% adherence and 80% satisfaction. Among 48 eligible women scheduled for colposcopies, 27 (56.3%) agreed, consented, and completed baseline assessments. Participants had an average age of 34 years, with 14 (52%) identifying as non-Hispanic White. Of these, 21 (77.8%) engaged with the CervixChat intervention via mobile phones. Impressively, 26 participants (96.3%) attended their diagnostic colposcopy within the specified timeframe. Moreover, 22 (81.5%) completed the follow-up survey and a brief interview. Barriers assessment revealed notable encodings in the Affect and Values/Goals domains, highlighting concerns and understanding around HPV, as well as its impact on body image and sexual matters. Persistent and relatively high intrusive thoughts and lowered risk perceptions regarding cervical cancer were reported over time, unaffected by the intervention. Post-intervention evaluations documented high satisfaction and perceived usefulness, with recommendations for incorporating additional practical and educational content. Our findings underscore the robust satisfaction and practicality of the CervixChat intervention among a diverse underserved population. Moving forward, our next step involves evaluating the intervention's efficacy through a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) design. Enhanced by personalized health coaching, we aim to further bolster women's risk perception, address intrusive thoughts, and streamline resources to effectively improve colposcopy screening attendance.

Our study focused on helping underserved women, especially from ethnic minorities, with abnormal Pap test results. We aimed to break down barriers preventing them from seeking necessary follow-up care. Using Chatbot-facilitated text messages, we reached out to offer timely support. Starting with a warm text, we asked participants to share their thoughts on their abnormal Pap results. We then sent targeted messages addressing concerns about colposcopy, cervical health, emotions, appointment importance, and coping strategies. Participants engaged actively, finding value in the messages for information and encouragement. Their responses highlighted concerns about the test and emotional challenges. We also identified the need to address worries about human papillomavirus (HPV), body image, and discomfort during the test. In conclusion, our study showcased the feasibility and acceptability of using Chatbot messages to provide tailored support after abnormal Pap tests. By addressing unique concerns, we aimed to alleviate distress and enhance adherence to follow-up care for better cervical cancer screening outcomes.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Health Education Programs for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Communities: Implications for Promoting Health Equity.

Rural women face an increased risk of cervical cancer diagnosis in comparison to women living in metropolitan areas. This review synthesized and critically evaluated cervical cancer screening interventions that target women living in rural communities in the USA. EBSCO, JSTOR, Medline, PsychINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched using keywords related to cervical cancer screening, rural communities, and prevention interventions. Study eligibility included randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs, a psychosocial or educational intervention targeting cervical cancer prevention, and implementation in a rural setting. Eleven articles met criteria for the systematic review and 6 of those included information sufficient for meta-analysis. Cochrane guidelines, CONSORT-Equity 2017, and PROGRESS-Plus were used to assess included studies. The systematic review encompassed 9720 participants who were involved in a variety of intervention types: social media campaigns, faith-based, and patient navigation with lay health advisors. None of the studies met all criteria for the health equity assessment. The meta-analysis found that women in the intervention groups were more likely to participate in cervical cancer screening than women in control groups (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.49 to 3.97). The type of intervention mattered in increasing cervical cancer screening participation for women living in rural communities. Educational interventions in combination with patient navigation saw the most success in promoting cervical cancer screening. Further, health inequities focus is lacking robust consideration. Our results highlight a continued need to develop multicomponent interventions with a health equity focus to address barriers to screening and prevention.

Capacity assessment and spatial analysis of cervical cancer services in The Gambia.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in Gambian women. The Gambian Ministry of Health is striving to improve access to screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for cervical cancer, but comprehensive data on currently available services is limited making it challenging to appropriately prioritize the ideal next steps for expanding care. This study aims to describe the current services available for the prevention, screening, and treatment of cervical cancer in The Gambia and provide suggestions for expanding geographic access to care. METHODS: A survey aimed at assessing the availability of key cervical cancer-related services was developed and then administered in person by research assistants to all secondary and tertiary health facilities (HFs) in The Gambia. ArcGIS Pro Software and 2020 LandScan population density raster were used to visualize and quantify geographic access to care. Survey results were compared with published targets outlined by the Gambian Ministry of Health in the "Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Cervical Cancer in The Gambia: 2016-2020." RESULTS: One hundred and two HFs were surveyed including 12 hospitals, 3 major health centers, 56 minor health centers, and 31 medical centers/clinics. Seventy-eight of these HFs provided some form of cervical cancer-related service. HPV vaccination was available in all health regions. Two-thirds of the population lived within 10 km of a HF that offered screening for cervical cancer and half lived within 10 km of a HF that offered treatment for precancerous lesions. Ten HFs offered hysterectomy, but nine were located in the same region. Two HFs offered limited chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was not available. If all major health centers and hospitals started offering visual inspection with acetic acid and cryotherapy, 86.1% of the population would live within 25 km of a HF with both services. CONCLUSIONS: Geographic access to cervical cancer screening, and precancer treatment is relatively widespread across The Gambia, but targeted expansion in line with the country's "Strategic Plan" would improve access for central and eastern Gambia. The availability of treatment services for invasive cancer is limited, and establishing radiotherapy in the country should continue to be prioritized.

Benefits, harms and cost-effectiveness of cervical screening, triage and treatment strategies for women in the general population.

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. To support the strategy, the WHO published updated cervical screening guidelines in 2021. To inform this update, we used an established modeling platform, Policy1-Cervix, to evaluate the impact of seven primary screening scenarios across 78 low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) for the general population of women. Assuming 70% coverage, we found that primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening approaches were the most effective and cost-effective, reducing cervical cancer age-standardized mortality rates by 63-67% when offered every 5 years. Strategies involving triaging women before treatment (with 16/18 genotyping, cytology, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or colposcopy) had close-to-similar effectiveness to HPV screening without triage and fewer pre-cancer treatments. Screening with VIA or cytology every 3 years was less effective and less cost-effective than HPV screening every 5 years. Furthermore, VIA generated more than double the number of pre-cancer treatments compared to HPV. In conclusion, primary HPV screening is the most effective, cost-effective and efficient cervical screening option in LMICs. These findings have directly informed WHO's updated cervical screening guidelines for the general population of women, which recommend primary HPV screening in a screen-and-treat or screen-triage-and-treat approach, starting from age 30 years with screening every 5 years or 10 years.

Cost-utility and budget impact analyses of cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing in Thailand.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cancer among women in Thailand. However, the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening programs is limited by several factors that impede the screening rate. The utilization of self-collected samples for screening purposes has the potential to alleviate barriers to screening in Thai women. This study assessed the cost-utility and budget impact of implementing cervical cancer screening using self-collected samples for human papillomavirus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing in Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed a decision tree integrated with a Markov model to estimate the lifetime costs and health benefits associated with the cervical cancer screening program for women aged 25-65. The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective. Four screening policy options were compared: (1) additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing, (2) clinician-collected samples for HPV DNA testing only, (3) clinician-collected samples for cytology test (i.e., status quo), and (4) no screening. The model inputs were based on unvaccinated women. The screening strategies and management in those with positive results were assumed followed to the Thai clinical practice guideline. Costs were reported in 2022 Thai baht. Sensitivity analyses were conducted. The ten-year budget impacts of the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing were calculated from a payer perspective. RESULTS: All screening policies were cost-saving compared to no screening. When comparing the additional self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing with the clinician-collected samples policy, it emerged as the dominant strategy. The incremental benefit in cervical cancer prevention achieved by incorporating self-collected samples for screening was observed at any additional screening rate that could be achieved through their use. Sensitivity analyses yielded consistently favorable results for the screening policies. The average annual budget impact of the additional self-collected samples for screening policy amounted to 681 million Thai baht. This budget allocation could facilitate cervical cancer screening for over 10 million women. CONCLUSIONS: An addition of self-collected samples for HPV DNA testing into the cervical cancer screening program is cost-saving. The benefits of this screening policy outweigh the associated incremental costs. Policymakers should consider this evidence during the policy optimization process.

Cost and operational context for national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine delivery in six low- and middle-income countries.

INTRODUCTION: There are concerns from immunization program planners about high delivery costs for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Most prior research evaluated costs of HPV vaccine delivery during demonstration projects or at introduction, showing relatively high costs, which may not reflect the costs beyond the pilot or introduction years. This study sought to understand the operational context and estimate delivery costs for HPV vaccine in six national programs, beyond their introduction years. METHODS: Operational research and microcosting methods were used to retrospectively collect primary data on HPV vaccination program activities in Ethiopia, Guyana, Rwanda, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. Data were collected from the national level and a sample of subnational administrative offices and health facilities. Operational data collected were tabulated as percentages and frequencies. Financial costs (monetary outlays) and economic costs (financial plus opportunity costs) were estimated, as was the cost per HPV vaccine dose delivered. Costing was done from the health system perspective and reported in 2019 United States dollars (US$). RESULTS: Across the study countries, between 53 % and 99 % of HPV vaccination sessions were conducted in schools. Differences were observed in intensity and frequency with which program activities were conducted and resources used. Mean annual economic costs at health facilities in each country ranged from $1,207 to $3,190, while at the national level these ranged from $7,657 to $304,278. Mean annual HPV vaccine doses delivered per health facility in each country ranged from 162 to 761. Mean financial costs per dose per study country ranged from $0.27 to $3.32, while the economic cost per dose ranged from $3.09 to $17.20. CONCLUSION: HPV vaccine delivery costs were lower than at introduction in some study countries. There were differences in the activities carried out for HPV vaccine delivery and the number of doses delivered, impacting the cost estimates.

Health impact and cost effectiveness of implementing gender-neutral HPV vaccination in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the public health impact and cost effectiveness of gender-neutral vaccination (GNV) versus female-only vaccination (FOV) with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in Japan. METHODS: We modeled the public health impact and cost effectiveness of GNV versus FOV to prevent HPV-associated diseases in Japan over the next 100 years. We used one-way sensitivity analyses to examine the impact of varying key model input parameters and conducted scenario analyses to explore the effects of varying the vaccination coverage rate (VCR) of each cohort. RESULTS: In the base-case analysis, GNV averted additional cancer cases (17,228 female/6,033 male) and deaths (1,892 female/1,849 male) compared to FOV. When all HPV-associated diseases were considered, GNV had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ¥4,732,320 (US$35,987)/quality-adjusted life year gained compared to FOV. The model was most sensitive to the discount rate and the disutility associated with HPV-related diseases. GNV had greater relative public health benefits when the female VCR was lower and was cost effective at a female VCR of 30%. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate implementation of GNV would reduce the disease burden and mortality associated with HPV in Japan, and would be cost effective compared to FOV if the female VCR remains low (30%).

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection and, in Japan, the prevalence of HPV infection and the incidence of its associated diseases are high among both men and women. In the present manuscript we modeled the public health impact and cost effectiveness of gender-neutral vaccination versus female-only vaccination to prevent HPV-associated diseases in Japan over the next 100 years and found that immediate implementation of a gender-neutral vaccination strategy would reduce the burden and mortality associated with HPV in Japan.

Estimates of avoided costs attributed to a short cervix screening program to prevent preterm birth from the perspective of the Unified Health System (SUS).

OBJECTIVE: To perform an economic cost analysis of the implementation of a short cervix screening program to reduce preterm birth in singleton pregnancies in a short-term time horizon. METHODS: We performed a cost-benefit economic analysis using the P5 trial database, a randomized multicenter clinical trial for prevention of preterm birth. Data collection was conducted from July 2015 to March 2019 in 17 different Brazilian hospitals. We conducted a cost analysis for universal cervical screening in singleton pregnancies between 18 weeks and 22 weeks plus 6 days. In subjects with a cervical length ≤ 25 mm, the analysis incorporated the costs of administering 200 mg/day of vaginal progesterone prophylactically until 36 weeks gestation. These findings were subsequently compared with the economic implications of forgoing cervical screening. The time horizon comprised from birth to 10 weeks postpartum. The outcome was measured monetarily in Brazilian real (R$) from the perspective of the Unified Health System. RESULTS: Among 7,844 women, 6.67% (523) had a cervix ≤ 25 mm. The cost of screening with transvaginal ultrasound and vaginal progesterone for prevention of births with < 34 weeks was estimated at R$ 383,711.36, while non-screening generated an estimated additional cost of R$ 446,501.69 (related to the 29 non-screened preterm deliveries). Thus, screening and prophylaxis would generate a final cost reduction of R$ 62,790.33, constituting a possible cost-benefit strategy. CONCLUSION: Universal short cervix screening for preterm birth has lower costs compared to non-screening within a short-term time horizon, which suggests an interesting benefit-cost ratio. Future studies should consider the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic treatment using sensitivity analyses in different scenarios within the Brazilian health system, as well as analyses that consider the long-term costs associated with preterm births, to robustly justify the implementation of a short cervix screening program.

Developing and piloting an intervention to reduce colposcopy non-attendance and corresponding inequalities: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer incidence and mortality is higher in lower income populations. Non-attendance for colposcopy following cervical screening is higher in deprived areas and younger patients. Diagnostic delays reduce the benefits of screening, increasing risk of pre-cancerous cells being undetected or treated later. We aimed to better understand drivers of colposcopy non-attendance and pilot a targeted intervention. Women and people with a cervix (referred to as patients in this paper) access colposcopy services. METHODS: For the service improvement audit, we collected qualitative data from Jan 24 to April 22, 2022, via telephone calls and interviews. The sample included patients who cancelled or did not attend their appointment and patients who attended their appointment. Interviews explored attendance barriers and enablers. Data were analysed thematically and reported, aligning with Consolidated Criteria for reporting Qualitative Studies' principles. The analysis informed development of a pilot intervention, implemented from Aug 8 to Oct 6, 2022, for all scheduled appointments. Patients were contacted by telephone pre-appointment as both a reminder and opportunity to identify and address attendance barriers. Barrier-specific pathways were developed to support attendance (eg, transport assistance). We compared descriptive non-attendance rates during the intervention period and pre-intervention. Audit permission was granted by Northumbria Clinical Audit Team and Caldicott approval obtained. FINDINGS: Data were collected from 20 of the 36 patients who did not attend between Jan 24, and April 22, 2022. Further data were gathered from 88 patients cancelling appointments and four colposcopy attendees. During the audit, ethnicity and gender identity were not routinely collected. Themes identified were administrative, forgetting, anxiety, work, childcare, and transport. During the pilot, 383 (65%) of all 595 patients with an appointment were successfully contacted. The overall non-attendance in 2022 pre-telephone intervention was 10% (195 of 1736 appointments). During the intervention, non-attendance was 8% (45 of 539 appointments). Non-attendance during the intervention was 12% (10 of 87 appointments) for patients aged 25-39 years in the 20% most deprived areas was, compared with 20% (64 of 319 appointments) before the intervention. INTERPRETATION: Identifying and addressing attendance barriers might improve non-attendance, particularly in younger and more deprived populations. This offers the prospect of improving the effectiveness of screening programmes alongside reducing inequalities in health-care access. The findings of this small-scale study are limited to NHS trust colposcopy service in the northeast of England, thus further formalised research is necessary. FUNDING: None.

Health and economic effects of introducing single-dose or two-dose human papillomavirus vaccination in India.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a major public health problem in India, where access to prevention programmes is low. The WHO-Strategic Advisory Group of Experts recently updated their recommendation for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to include a single-dose option in addition to the two-dose option, which could make HPV vaccination programmes easier to implement and more affordable. METHODS: We combined projections from a type-specific HPV transmission model and a cancer progression model to assess the health and economic effects of HPV vaccination at national and state level in India. The models used national and state-specific Indian demographic, epidemiological and cost data, and single-dose vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer India vaccine trial with 10-year follow-up. We compared single-dose and two-dose HPV vaccination for a range of plausible scenarios regarding single-dose vaccine protection, coverage and catch-up. We used a healthcare sector payer perspective with a time horizon of 100 years. RESULTS: Under the base-case scenario of lifelong protection of single-dose vaccination in 10-year-old girls with 90% coverage, the discounted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of nationwide vaccination relative to no vaccination was US$406 (₹INR30 000) per DALY (disability-adjusted life-years) averted. This lay below an opportunity-cost-based threshold of 30% Indian gross domestic product per capita in each Indian state (state-specific ICER range: US$67-US$593 per DALY averted). The ICER of two-dose vaccination versus no vaccination vaccination was US$1404 (₹INR104 000). The ICER of two-dose vaccination versus single-dose vaccination, assuming lower initial efficacy and waning of single-dose vaccination, was at least US$2282 (₹INR169 000) per DALY averted. CONCLUSIONS: Nationwide introduction of single-dose HPV vaccination at age 10 in India is highly likely to be cost-effective whereas extending the number of doses from one to two would have a less favourable profile.

Public health impact of 2-, 4-, and 9-valent HPV vaccination in females on cervical and noncervical diseases in men and women under different coverage scenarios in China: A simulation study.

The high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in China suggests there would be a substantial positive health impact of widespread vaccination against HPV. We adapted a previously described dynamic transmission model of the natural history of HPV infection and related diseases to the Chinese setting to estimate the public health impact in China of 2-valent (with and without cross-protection), 4-valent, and 9-valent HPV vaccination strategies. The model predicted the incidence and mortality associated with HPV-related diseases, including cervical and noncervical cancers, genital warts, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), based on the various vaccination coverage rate (VCR) scenarios, over a 100-year time horizon. The public health impact of the 4 vaccination strategies was estimated in terms of cases and deaths averted compared to a scenario with no vaccination. Under the assumption of various primary and catch-up VCR scenarios, all 4 vaccination strategies reduced the incidence of cervical cancer in females and noncervical cancers in both sexes, and the 4-valent and 9-valent vaccines reduced the incidence of genital warts and RRP in both sexes. The 9-valent vaccination strategy was superior on all outcomes. The number of cervical cancer cases averted over 100 years ranged from ~ 1 million to ~ 5 million while the number of cervical cancer deaths averted was ~ 345,000 to ~ 1.9 million cases, depending on the VCR scenario. The VCR for primary vaccination was the major driver of cases averted.