Abstract 62: An Assessment of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Infrastructure in Belize

Abstract
Purpose: Belize has among the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates of Latin American and Caribbean countries despite efforts to increase access to prevention and treatment services. This study evaluates the policies, infrastructure, and workforce of the cervical cancer management system in Belize to inform the strengthening of sustainable screening and treatment programs. Methods: In 2018, health facility assessments were conducted across the 6 districts of Belize at the national pathology facility and 12 public facilities identified by Ministry of Health as critical to cervical cancer control. We used a standardized instrument to assess human resources, physical infrastructure, and existing policies related to cervical cancer management. Results: The public cervical cancer screening workforce in Belize consists of 75 nurses and physicians (1 per 1,075 screening-eligible women), and 44% (n=33) are members of the outreach workforce who serve rural areas (1 per 2,537 screening-eligible women). All districts have at least 1 screening facility, 50% (n=6) of which perform screening services including visual inspection with acetic acid and cervical cytology 1 day per week. Cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment service availability differ across districts. At the national pathology facility, 38% (n=5) of essential equipment (e.g. microtomes) were available and functional, 23% (n=3) of equipment were available but non-functional, and 38% (n=5) of equipment were unavailable. Regarding essential pathology supplies (e.g. hematoxylin and eosin), 30% (n=6) of supplies were out of stock at the time of assessment and 75% (n=15) were out of stock at one point in the past 12 months. Conclusion: Public sector cervical cancer management services differ between districts of Belize, with tertiary service availability concentrated in the largest district. Screening, outreach, and pathology are limited by resource availability, and although no standard benchmarks exist for contextualization, this insight into current capacity pinpoints health system components for future investment. Citation Format: Shane Neibart, Tiffany Smith, Jennifer Fang, Taylor Anderson, Abha Kulkarni, Jennifer Tsui, Shawna Hudson, Gregory Peck, Joseph Hanna, Natalia Largaespada Beer, Mark Einstein. An Assessment of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Infrastructure in Belize [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Global Cancer Research and Control: Looking Back and Charting a Path Forward; 2021 Mar 10-11. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021;30(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 62.