Elekta Foundation shared a post on LinkedIn:
“HPV DNA Testing Series
How do you conduct HPV DNA testing for more than 38,000 women in just over a month? The answer starts with leadership.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Health has made cervical cancer elimination a national priority, creating the foundation for healthcare workers, community health workers, district teams, laboratories, and partners to work together towards a common goal. But achieving scale is not only about systems and planning. It is about people.
Behind every screening are dedicated health workers who build trust, answer questions, support women and their families, and help ensure that no woman is left behind. Their understanding of local communities is essential to delivering screening in ways that work for women.
In Rwanda’s Rwamagana District, this collaboration was key to achieving the milestone of testing more than 38,000 women for the HPV virus in just over a month.
Community health workers played a particularly important role in mobilizing women for testing and bringing services closer to their homes. Through a door-to-door approach, women could receive support and perform HPV DNA self-sampling in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. This not only increased access but also helped overcome practical barriers such as travel time, family responsibilities, and concerns about seeking care.
For some women, screening at a local health centre was the preferred option. For others, home-based self-sampling offered a more convenient solution. The key was understanding local needs and adapting the approach accordingly.
This is what Mission 2027 is all about: combining national leadership, local knowledge, and community engagement to design screening programs that put women at the center.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for eliminating cervical cancer. Success comes from understanding communities, building trust, and combining innovation with strong local ownership. And the results speak for themselves.
Soon, almost 500,000 women in Rwanda will have undergone cervical cancer screening including efficient HPV DNA testing. This is what quality mass screening looks like: delivered at scale, at speed, and with women at the center. It is efficient and results-focused, but built on trust, local knowledge, strong partnerships, and a commitment to ensuring that every woman has access to life-saving prevention.
Read more about cervical cancer elimination in Rwanda on Elekta Foundation’s web page, ‘The elimination initiative Mission 2027.'”
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