Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Areas

Zhetpisbayeva I. Kassymbekova F. Sarmuldayeva S. Semenova Y. Glushkova N.
2023 Ubiquity Press

Annals of Global Health
2023 #89 Issue 1

Objective: Globally, cervical cancer (CC) incidence is higher in rural areas than in urban areas that could be explained by the influence of many factors, including inequity in accessibility of the CC prevention measures. This review aimed to identify and analyze factors associated with a lack of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs in people living in rural areas and to outline strategies to mitigate these factors. Methods: The literature search encompassed two focal domains: cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among populations residing in rural areas, covering publications between January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2021 in the PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cyberleninka databases, available in both English and Russian languages. Result: A literature review identified 22 sources on cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination in rural and remote areas. These sources revealed similar obstacles to screening and vaccination in both high and low-income countries, such as low awareness and knowledge about CC, screening, and HPV vaccination among rural residents; limited accessibility due to remoteness and dearth of medical facilities and practitioners, associated with a decrease in recommendations from them, and financial constraints, necessitating out-of-pocket expenses. The reviewed sources analyzed strategies to mitigate the outlined challenges. Possible solutions include the introduction of tailored screening and vaccination campaigns designed for residents of rural and remote locations. New screening and vaccination sites have been proposed to overcome geographic barriers. Integrating HPV testing-based CC screening is suggested to counter the lack of healthcare personnel. HPV vaccination is essential for primary cervical cancer prevention, especially in rural and remote areas, as it requires less medical infrastructure. Conclusion: Certain measures can be proposed to improve the uptake of CC screening and HPV vaccination programs among rural residents, which are needed to address the higher prevalence of CC in rural areas. Further investigation into cervical cancer prevention in rural and remote contexts is necessary to ascertain the optimal strategies that promote health equity.

adherence , cervical cancer screening , HPV vaccination , rural population

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Department of Public Health and Social Sciences, Kazakhstan Medical University, “KSPH”, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Clinical Specialties, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Evidence Based Medicine, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Department of Public Health and Social Sciences
Department of Clinical Specialties
Nazarbayev University School of Medicine
Department of Epidemiology

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