Examining efforts to integrate cervical cancer screening, treatment into HIV services in Zambia

In the Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) "Smart Global Health" blog, Janet Fleischman and Julia Nagel of CSIS discuss "the opportunities and challenges of integrating cervical cancer screening and treatment into HIV services for women," with a focus on the efforts of Zambia. "Attention to cervical cancer in Zambia has been heightened with the December 2011 launch of the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon (PRRR) initiative, led by the George W. Bush Institute, the U.S. State Department, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, UNAIDS, and several corporate partners," they note. The authors describe the efforts of the program and the support of the Zambian government, including First Lady Christine Kaseba Sata, who is an obstetrician/gynecologist. "To be sure, this is only the beginning; much more needs to be done to effectively integrate cervical cancer screening into HIV services throughout Zambia, and to build the capacity to screen, refer and treat," they state, noting the HPV vaccine could help prevent some cases (2/10). An accompanying video describes the program (Letendre et al., 2/10).