SOLUKHUMBU
Solukhumbu is the gateway to to Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Solukhumbu district located in Province 1 covers a total area of 3,312 km2 and has a population of 105,886.
In collaboration with Lukla hospital managed by the Nicole Niquille Foundation, NFCC conducted three cervical cancer screening camps in 2017 in Lukla (March 9-11), Khunde (March 13-14) and Bung (March 18-19).
A total of 492 women aged 30 to 60 years were screened in the camps. All women attaneidng the camp were screened for cervical cancer using two methods – VIA and HPV testing. As per the Government mandate, Single Visit Approach (SVA) was applied in all screening camps with VIA positive women treated immediately with cryotherapy. HPV positive cases were referred to the Nepal Cancer Hospital for further treatment. Samples were collected by the attending clinicians. All specimens were preserved in a cold chain on a required temperature. It was then sent to New Delhi for the test and the result received was provided to individual clients by NFCC staff through phone. Each phone call was a detailed counselling session providing results, options available to the client and the next best steps. Continuous follow up of all clients was done through phone calls to ensure continual and complete treatment as well as required reporting.
A Nepal Health Research Council’s ERB approved questionnaire was used to collect information to assess knowledge related to HPV and cervical cancer. All women who could read and write were provided the questionnaire to fill by themselves whereas, illiterate women were provided an enumerator who interviewed them and filled the questionnaire. The questionnaire was in the local language and the enumerators asked questions in the spoken language. A consent form by each woman who chose to participate in the study.