Reproducibility of a rapid human papillomavirus test at different levels of the healthcare system in Tanzania: the AISHA study

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions assessed the intra-laboratory and inter-observer reproducibility of a rapid test for detection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types at three different levels of the health-care system in one urban region and one rural region in the United Republic of Tanzania. The results of their assessment have been published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The researchers compared samples from more than 1100 women, tested at primary health-care centres, district hospitals, and regional hospitals located in the Dar es Salaam Region and the Kilimanjaro Region. The rapid HPV test used was specifically designed for cervical screening of women living in low-resource regions.

The researchers note that although the test performed reliably in this setting and with the quality assurance measures that were in effect during the study, it is important to have robust quality assurance measures in place when determining the feasibility of organized, decentralized cervical cancer screening systems in limited-resource settings.

Baena A, De Vuyst H, Mesher D, Kasubi M, Yuma S, Mwaiselage J, et al.
Reproducibility of a rapid human papillomavirus test at different levels of the healthcare system in Tanzania: the AISHA study
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, Published online 20 August 2020;
https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0422

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