Hitting the Pause Button: The Impact of COVID-19 on Cervical Cancer Prevention, Screening and Treatment Access in Indonesia

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Care

article

Belinda Rina Marie Spagnoletti¹  Hanum Atikasari¹  Linda Rae Bennett¹  HennyM.A.R. Putri³  Miranda Rachellina⁴  Ardhina Ramania² 

[1] Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School for Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne;Center for Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Gadjah Mada University;Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital (RSPAD Gatot Soebroto);Indonesian Cancer Foundation – Jakarta Branch (YKI-DKI)

关键词: Cervical cancer;    health care access;    pandemic;    early detection;   

DOI  :  10.31557/apjcc.2020.5.S1.255-257

学科分类：内科医学

来源: West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention

【 摘 要 】

As Indonesia grapples with COVID-19, it remains vital that other crucial health interventions continue to be prioritised to minimise the overall health footprint of the epidemic. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, yet it is the most lethal female cancer in Indonesia, responsible for more than 18,000 deaths each year. Thanks to the efforts of several key groups driving health reforms to step up cervical cancer control in recent years, Indonesia has a national screening program and, up until late 2019, a HPV vaccination pilot program was being rolled out across five provinces. An interdisciplinary four-year study exploring the experiences of and health system responses to cervical cancer in Indonesia was underway when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Alarmingly, the widespread restrictions on citizens’ mobility and the redistribution of resources to the COVID-19 response has resulted in key services for cervical cancer prevention and screening being paused indefinitely, without a clear path forward. Treat ent seeking, and the availability of support services for women with a cervical cancer diagnosis have also been interrupted. If unaddressed, these pauses will lead to an increase in women presenting with late stage cervical cancer, for which treatment is more invasive and costly, with a lower chance of survival. We are also concerned for the future generation of women in Indonesia, who, without access to affordable HPV vaccination, will face a heightened risk of developing cervical cancer compared with their peers from countries that have prioritised investing in this life saving vaccine.

【 授权许可】

CC BY