In 2021, BVGH and the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) implemented a cervical and breast cancer Educate, Screen, and Treat (EST) program that screened more than 7,000 women for cervical cancer, offered clinical breast exams, and integrated cervical cancer screening into the routine services offered by health facilities in Rwanda’s Bugesera District. During the EST program, participating healthcare providers requested continued support for screening quality assurance and patient navigation.
In response, BVGH, RBC, and Queens University teamed up to evaluate the use of a phone-based tool to provide healthcare providers with a second opinion on challenging cervical cancer screening cases. The tool, Smartphone-Enhanced VIA (SEVIA), was originally developed by Professor Karen Yeates at Queens University in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Tanzania to improve the quality and accuracy of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) based cervical screening and support downstream patient navigation to minimize loss to follow up.
BVGH, RBC, and Queens University customized SEVIA to Rwanda, including translating the tool into Kinyarwanda. Prior to rollout of the tool in Bugesera District, nurses, midwives, and local expert reviewers were trained on the use of SEVIA and updated on cervical cancer screening protocols. SEVIA was subsequently evaluated during the screening of 120 women across 16 district health facilities.