Though cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease, worldwide it is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. Each year, it kills about 260,000 women, primarily in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Fortunately, cervical precancer screening and treatment is a proven technique for reducing cervical cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality. However, screen-positive women must receive timely and effective precancer treatment and there remain large inequities to accessing these services.
To assist in these efforts, PATH’s Market Dynamics program developed a scenario-based Excel model and a data visualization mapping tool to help country stakeholders understand how best to scale up their cervical precancer treatment programs. The modeling tool estimates the number of women treated, the number of units of equipment needed (for both gas-based cryotherapy and non-gas devices), and associated start-up costs across five different scenarios, allowing decision-makers to make better use of scarce resources. It can be populated with data from any LMIC and may inform national screening and treatment strategies. These tools can help countries weigh the trade offs involved in balancing patient access to treatment with financial and human resources costs and utilization of equipment and skilled personnel.
To access the Cervical Precancer Treatment Planning Tool click here.