According to CureCervicalCancer.org, their “HPV (human papillomavirus) Testing & Treatment Mobile Clinic is the first of its kind to bring the most advanced cervical cancer prevention technology out of the healthcare facility and directly into the community.”
They have a four-step process:
- The mobile clinic/laboratory and a team of healthcare providers travel to underserved regions to set up in village centers, busy marketplaces, or communal spaces, going directly to where the women are.
- Women easily and painlessly collect their own self-sample within a few seconds by using a vaginal swab.
- The samples are processed in the mobile laboratory. Results are ready within 90 minutes.
- In the same visit, women who test HPV positive undergo further screening and treatment if necessary by a team of healthcare providers. Women who require advanced care are linked with specialized doctors at a referral facility and supported by the organization’s Client Champion to successfully navigate the barriers of accessing higher level care.
Here is a video showing the mobile clinic approach in action in Kenya:
Why HPV Testing?
HPV causes nearly 99% of cervical cancer. According to the World Health Organization, HPV testing is the gold standard for identifying women who carry the highest risk of developing cervical cancer. The regions where the organization works have some of the lowest screening coverage in the world, leading to countless unnecessary deaths. Using HPV testing, they can scale their reach and focus limited resources where they are needed most.