Overall, El Salvador has the lowest reported cervical cancer screening coverage compared to other countries in the region, particularly amongst high-risk and vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas of the country, low-socioeconomic groups and indigenous women. As a result, according to HPV Center, 2 million women in El Salvador are at risk of developing cervical cancer, over 800 women are diagnosed with the disease each year, and almost 400 die annually.
Basic Health International (BHI) and El Salvador’s Ministry of Health have been tirelessly working side-by-side to change cervical cancer deaths by piloting different methods to extend cervical cancer screening to the women most in need.
In 2015, BHI approached MobileODT to see if the deployment of the EVA System could help build capacity and provide real-time support to health providers in remote areas of the country. They were particularly interested in:
EVA’s portability
Since EVA is powered by a cellular unit, BHI can support health workers who travel to remote areas to reach patients unable to access central health systems.
Remote consultation capability
Because EVA is online-connected, health practitioners on the ground can consult with experts over cases in real time via EVA’s remote consultation feature.
Quality assurance and real-time data capabilities
EVA’s HIPAA compliant portal provides program level analytics that BHI and the Ministry of Health can use to better understand how their program is running on the ground, to identify health providers that need further training, and to allocate resources where cervical cancer rates are highest.
In less than two years, more than 1,000 women have been screened with the EVA System and more than 25 women treated on site for pre-cancerous lesions. Based on this success, BHI and the Ministry of Health are now scaling the EVA across El Salvador. “The EVA System represents the technological evolution of Colposcopy,” said Dr. Elizabeth Torres, BHI’s Training and Clinical Director.
Our partners at Tristel, have also joined the effort by deploying their easy-to-apply disinfectant solution that enables health providers to quickly clean exam equipment between patients rather than sending equipment out for cleaning every evening off-site, saving both time and money.
Together, we are working to end preventable deaths from cervical cancer in a generation, and proud to work with Tristel, BHI and the Ministry of Health in El Salvador to make this dream a more realistic reality.
To deploy the EVA System in your global health program contact: partnerships@mobileodt.com