Cervical Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Management of Precancer (VIA)
WHOA
Early-release course
You are accessing an early-release version of this course, produced by the WHO Academy. We encourage you to provide feedback on your learning experience. We will use your feedback to adapt and improve the course and the WHO Academy online platform.
About this course
Cervical cancer is preventable, yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. To eliminate cervical cancer, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of below four per 100 000 women. In May 2018, the WHO Director-General announced a global call for action to eliminate cervical cancer. To eliminate cervical cancer, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of below four per 100 000 women. Achieving this goal by 2030 rests on three key pillars: Ensuring 90% of girls are fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; screening 70% of women using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45; and treating 90% of women with pre-cancer and managing 90% of women with invasive cancer. This course is designed to build your skills in screening women for cervical cancer and management of women with precancer. The course has three options depending on the screening tests that are used in your country:
- HPV test and management of screen positive women
- Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and management of screen positive women (upcoming)
- Colposcopy and management of precancer (upcoming)
Who is this course for?
Doctors, gynaecologists, nurses, and midwives in general health care and in programmes that address reproductive health and non-communicable diseases.
What will you learn?
How to:
- Counsel women and their families to make informed decisions on cervical cancer screening and treatment
- Perform cervical cancer screening using visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) and an HPV test
- Identify women at risk of cervical pre-cancer, those with precancer and cancer
- Determine eligibility for ablative treatment, colposcopy, and referral for excisional treatment
- Manage cervical abnormalities with ablative or excisional treatment
- Adhere to quality standards and contribute to continuous quality improvement in screening and management of cervical precancer
Assessment and Award
You will receive a WHO Academy Award of Completion after completing all the online self-paced learning activities in your preferred course option. To qualify for the face-to-face clinical training in your course option, you will need to attain the required pass mark in the end of module quiz and meet country specific educational and clinical practice requirements. After successfully completing the clinical training in your course option, you will receive a Badge. The Award of Completion and Badge will be saved in your ‘My Achievements’ space and can be downloaded and shared.
Learning experience
This blended program will build your competencies to screen, diagnose, and treat cervical precancer and refer women for excisional treatment. After enrolment, you will first complete the online self-paced course option. After successfully completing an online course option, you will enrol for the face-to-face clinical training in selected training sites in your country. During the clinical training, you will participate in skills lab/simulation activities, observed practice, and supervised clinical practice and assessment.