Working Health: A Model to Bring Cervical Cancer Screening to Factory Employees in Haiti

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer-related death in Haiti. Yet, Haiti currently lacks sufficient screening in women of reproductive age. Innovating Health International (IHI) seeks to implement a system of point of care screening with vaginal HPV testing in which positive results are treated with visual inspection with ascetic acid (VIA)/cryotherapy. The private-sector based service delivery model will allow women to receive cervical cancer screening and education directly where they work. The screening will occur in factories where all female employees are screened through vaginal self-swabs and follow up treatment will be performed in the factory infirmaries by the staff nurses the next business week. The model fosters sustainability as the private sector supports disease screening for employees and will provide training for factory nurses and demand creation for new screening services in the future. Other benefits include ability to provide adequate patient education in a community-based setting, no loss to follow up, and increased service uptake as the entire screen and treat process will be completed at the patient’s place of work. This model also directly addresses the health screening disparities in Haiti as it has been shown that the working class like factory workers have the least exposure to health programs and health education. Funding would allow many more working class women access to health education and screening they deserve.