ASHA

App aims to spread awareness regarding various gynaecological cancers.

ASHA- TRACK TRIAL App is an English and Hindi based app for use by healthcare workers, Ashas, and the general public. It aims to spread awareness regarding various gynaecological cancers especially breast and cervical cancer. It provides a platform to increase your knowledge about the topic via fun quizzes, videos on how to self-examine breast cancer, etc.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India. It is estimated that there were over 132,000 new cases of cervical cancer with over 97,000 deaths from this disease in 2018 (25% of the global cancer death). Hence, preventive strategies for cervical cancer are essential in India. The first barrier in cervical cancer screening is reaching the target population. ASHA workers can fulfill the gap in services as they normally live in the same locality, women are more comfortable with them, and no special skills are needed to obtain the self-sample.

Cervical cancer is caused by continuing infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV). HPV testing is the most sensitive method of secondary cervical cancer prevention and is now the favored method of screening recommended in WHO’s call for the elimination of cervical cancer.

In cervical cancer screening services, self-sampling has become a good option. Self-sampling has led to the uptake of screening for cervical cancer higher. It is adequate for public use due to its privacy, comfort, ease, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervix cells can lead to cervical cancer. Early detection is the key to preventing cervical cancer as it gives one plenty of time for treatment. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and in early cases hysterectomy can be done. Women should get screened for HPV on regular basis (every 3-5 year). Women of eligible age should get vaccinated.

Now talking about the tests, it takes 1-3 weeks to get the results of a pap smear and just 72 hours to get the results for HPV DNA Test. HPV DNA Tests can be done by women via self-sampling at the comfort of their home which is more the way required in COVID times. High-risk patients will require further treatment.

In the future, we are planning to keep spreading awareness of cervical cancer and help prevent its further spread in the community giving people information regarding hygiene and safekeeping from the human papillomavirus.

Many women in India are hesitant or not informed enough about the virus which leads to the infection resulting in cervical cancer when it could easily be treated if detected earlier. We want to encourage women in India, especially in rural settings they should get tested for the virus every third year as they ignore or take the symptoms lightly by conforming to live with them. We want to inform women that they deserve good health and quality of living and that it is easy to do so.

We would also like to inform everyone about its symptoms, prevention, reasons, and the fact that early detection via HPV DNA Test and Pap-Smear Test for that matter will give rise to preventing the infection to become cancer by providing treatment early and stopping the spread of the virus then and there. Cancer develops when cells of the basal membrane get locally invasive, so it is best to stop the HPV infection when it is in the flat squamous cells. For doing so we would need to catch it before it goes deep down into the basal cells, which requires regular screening. This needs to be understood by every woman that screening is the best preventive measure out there to save one from cervical cancer.

Our main focus would be on removing the stigma and fear of getting tested on regular basis. We can then also recruit volunteers and ambassadors to promote our motto further via our app. It would provide me with immense happiness if via this app more and more women will join us to work on the motto of - ‘every person getting vaccinated’.