In
developed countries, giant strides have been made in reducing
mortality due to
cervical cancer. The success recorded has been largely attributed to effective
screening programmes. In contrast, the burden and
mortality due to this
disease is rising in
developing countries. Access to
screening services remains a major challenge for the majority of the
population at risk. This
paper reviews the current demand-side barriers to
cervical cancer screening in
Nigeria and identifies potential
solutions. Using academic databases and
grey literature, a
review was carried out to identify current
screening modalities, barriers to access, and potential
solutions. The current innovative
method for control is early
detection and
treatment using See and Treat which involves visual inspection of the
cervix with
acetic acid (VIA) and
cryotherapy. Lack of
awareness,
cost, and availability were identified as major barriers to access. Potential
solutions feasible in the Nigerian context were categorized as financial and non-financial. The potential financial interventions include voucher schemes, conditional cash transfers,
health equity,
community loan
funds, and prepayment mechanisms. Potential non-financial interventions that would be useful include raising
awareness via
health education and
counseling,
community participation,
community based interventions, and pre-payment mechanisms...