Introduction: In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the leading female malignancy, no systematic cervical screening program has been introduced. However, selective or opportunistic screening has been performed since t...Introduction: In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the leading female malignancy, no systematic cervical screening program has been introduced. However, selective or opportunistic screening has been performed since the late 1980s. The Ministry of Health and Child Care is relying on screening, which allows early detection of pre-cancerous cells and diagnosis at early stages but many women are not going for the test and no studies have been done to find out why. This study investigated the women’s perception about cervical cancer and its screening using health belief model (HBM) in Bulawayo, where they are two new screening clinics. Methods: We conducted an analytic cross-sectional study. Women from 18 years and above attending health facilities were included in the study. Interviewer administrated questionnaire was used to determine the proportion of screened women and elicit their perception about cervical cancer and its screening. Epi-info version 3.3.2 was used to do bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Two hundred women were recruited into the study. The proportion of women who had cervical cancer screening was 52 (26%). Pap smear only had 35 (17.5%) had VIAC only, 13 (6.5%) and Pap smear and VIAC had 4 (2%). Knowledge of cervical cancer and its screening was poor among participants. In multivariate analysis, awareness of cervical cancer screening [adjusted OR 42.05 (95% CI 5.63 - 314.04)] was associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening and perceiving that having multiple sexual partners[adjusted OR 0.33 (95% CI 0.12 - 0.88)] was independently associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that lack of awareness of cervical cancer screening is a barrier to the uptake of the screening. Perceiving multiple sexual partners was associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. It is therefore necessary to increase awareness in Bulawayo City and educate the community about other risk factors.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> In Zimbabwe, the perinatal mortality surveillance system is based on passive reporting of perinatal deaths using the perinatal death notification forms. Mpilo hospital recorded...<strong>Background:</strong> In Zimbabwe, the perinatal mortality surveillance system is based on passive reporting of perinatal deaths using the perinatal death notification forms. Mpilo hospital recorded 74 perinatal deaths from January to September. No death was reported to the city and no perinatal mortality forms were found at the health information section. We aimed to assess the performance of perinatal mortality surveillance system in Bulawayo city. <strong>Methods:</strong> We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in all the maternity centres in Bulawayo City in 2011 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. We used interviewer-administrated questionnaires to collect data. We used a checklist to assess availability of resources. Perinatal death notification forms were reviewed. <strong>Results:</strong> We interviewed 67 workers. Knowledge on the system was poor. Eight (12%) were trained in IDSR (Integrated Disease Surveillance Response) and three (4.5%) were inducted on the perinatal mortality surveillance system. Sixty-one (91%) regarded the system as useful. City and private maternity centres were not notifying perinatal deaths due to lack of forms. In central hospitals, delay in notification was due to workload and shortage of trained staff. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Poor knowledge on the system, lack of induction and trained staff could have contributed to the non-performance of the system in the City of Bulawayo. Most participants reported the system as useful. Lack of documentation made it difficult to follow up on actions plans.展开更多
文摘Introduction: In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the leading female malignancy, no systematic cervical screening program has been introduced. However, selective or opportunistic screening has been performed since the late 1980s. The Ministry of Health and Child Care is relying on screening, which allows early detection of pre-cancerous cells and diagnosis at early stages but many women are not going for the test and no studies have been done to find out why. This study investigated the women’s perception about cervical cancer and its screening using health belief model (HBM) in Bulawayo, where they are two new screening clinics. Methods: We conducted an analytic cross-sectional study. Women from 18 years and above attending health facilities were included in the study. Interviewer administrated questionnaire was used to determine the proportion of screened women and elicit their perception about cervical cancer and its screening. Epi-info version 3.3.2 was used to do bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Two hundred women were recruited into the study. The proportion of women who had cervical cancer screening was 52 (26%). Pap smear only had 35 (17.5%) had VIAC only, 13 (6.5%) and Pap smear and VIAC had 4 (2%). Knowledge of cervical cancer and its screening was poor among participants. In multivariate analysis, awareness of cervical cancer screening [adjusted OR 42.05 (95% CI 5.63 - 314.04)] was associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening and perceiving that having multiple sexual partners[adjusted OR 0.33 (95% CI 0.12 - 0.88)] was independently associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that lack of awareness of cervical cancer screening is a barrier to the uptake of the screening. Perceiving multiple sexual partners was associated to the uptake of cervical cancer screening. It is therefore necessary to increase awareness in Bulawayo City and educate the community about other risk factors.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> In Zimbabwe, the perinatal mortality surveillance system is based on passive reporting of perinatal deaths using the perinatal death notification forms. Mpilo hospital recorded 74 perinatal deaths from January to September. No death was reported to the city and no perinatal mortality forms were found at the health information section. We aimed to assess the performance of perinatal mortality surveillance system in Bulawayo city. <strong>Methods:</strong> We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in all the maternity centres in Bulawayo City in 2011 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. We used interviewer-administrated questionnaires to collect data. We used a checklist to assess availability of resources. Perinatal death notification forms were reviewed. <strong>Results:</strong> We interviewed 67 workers. Knowledge on the system was poor. Eight (12%) were trained in IDSR (Integrated Disease Surveillance Response) and three (4.5%) were inducted on the perinatal mortality surveillance system. Sixty-one (91%) regarded the system as useful. City and private maternity centres were not notifying perinatal deaths due to lack of forms. In central hospitals, delay in notification was due to workload and shortage of trained staff. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Poor knowledge on the system, lack of induction and trained staff could have contributed to the non-performance of the system in the City of Bulawayo. Most participants reported the system as useful. Lack of documentation made it difficult to follow up on actions plans.
