THE STRATEGY OF “LOW DISCOMFORT” TREATMENT IS STRENGTHENED IN THE PREVENTION OF CERVICAL CANCER IN NICARAGUA.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death related to reproductive sexual health among Nicaraguan women. This type of cancer is a recurring problem that Nicaragua’s healthcare sector has been tackling with significant advancements. The two departments in Nicaragua with the highest rates of deaths in women from cervical cancer are Boaco and Rio San Juan. That’s why we’ve chosen the municipalities of Boaco, including Teustepe, Boaco, San Lorenzo, Camoapa, Santa Lucia, and San José de los Remates, as well as two in Rio San Juan: San Carlos and El Castillo. Many of these areas have rural populations. Since 2018, AMCA and Movicáncer have been collaborating to build new capacities for the public health sector, aimed at strengthening and expanding secondary prevention strategies for cervical cancer through thermocoagulation-based treatment. This project involves training specialist doctors, general practitioners, and nurses leading prevention strategies, providing the necessary thermocoagulation equipment to communities in need so that affected women can receive timely treatment before symptoms of the disease manifest. The implementation of thermocoagulation marks an innovative leap in providing treatment for precancerous lesions in rural women. It offers painless treatment, reduced vaginal discharge, and faster recovery, proposing a paradigm shift from the limitations associated with cryotherapy. This technology does not require gas or complex logistics, as thermocoagulation devices are easy to transport, fitting compactly into a briefcase. The battery provides enough power for a week of operation, equivalent to 36 treatments per day for 7 days.