Cancer screening research in Bangladesh: Insights from a scoping review.

This scoping review summarises the findings of research conducted on cancer screening in Bangladesh, including the prevalence, awareness, barriers, and evaluation of screening programmes, by performing a comprehensive search of electronic databases and gray literature. 25 studies that met inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Most of the studies were about screening for cervical cancer, were quantitative, were cross-sectional, and were conducted in hospital settings. The main challenges to screening uptake were shyness, fear, a lack of knowledge, and an inadequate understanding of the concept of screening. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was found to be a simple and cost-efficient way to detect early-stage cervical cancer. However, breast self-examination (BSE) was reported to be insufficient. Education was found to have a positive impact on cancer screening knowledge and practice, but more needs to be done to improve screening rates, such as the utilisation of media, particularly in rural areas. The results of this scoping review highlight Bangladesh's low cancer screening prevalence and uptake and suggest that targeted awareness campaigns and enhanced access to screening services are required to increase cancer screening uptake and reduce the cancer burden in Bangladesh.

The Effectiveness of Adequate Antenatal Care in Reducing Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: Evidence From a Low- or Middle-Income Country.

Background and aim Antenatal care (ANC) is universally acknowledged as an essential intervention for enhancing the well-being of both mothers and children. The World Health Organization advises a minimum of four ANC visits. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of adequate ANC in mitigating adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Delta Medical College & Hospital, Bangladesh, from March 2023 to August 2023. A total of 226 mothers who gave birth at the hospital during this period were enrolled in the study. Results More than 87% of the participants received adequate (≥4 visits) antenatal care from a registered physician. More than 84% of the mothers gave birth via cesarean section. Among the mothers who received inadequate ANC, the proportion of adverse perinatal outcomes was higher (69.0%) than that of those who received adequate ANC (32.0%). A significant association (p<0.05) was noted between inadequate antenatal care and adverse perinatal outcomes. Pregnant women receiving adequate antenatal checkups were 79% less likely to experience adverse perinatal outcomes compared to those receiving inadequate ANC. Conclusion Adequate ANC is a very efficient and economical strategy for mitigating adverse perinatal outcomes.

Cancer related knowledge, attitude, and practice among community health care providers and health assistants in rural Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Cancer remains one of the primary causes of death in Bangladesh. The success of cancer control in rural areas depends on the ability of the health care system and workforce to identify and manage cases properly at early stages. Community Health Workers (CHW) can play a vital role in this process. The present study aims to assess cancer related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) among 2 categories of CHWs - Community Health Care Providers (CHCP) and Health Assistants (HA) in rural Bangladesh. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire from July 2019 to June 2020. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to determine the sample. One Upazilla Health Complex (UHC) from each of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh were randomly chosen as study sites, from which 325 CHCPs and HAs were in the final sample. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to determine the association between KAP scores and demographic variables. RESULTS: Our study shows that a modest number of respondents scored above average in the knowledge (54.15%), attitude (58.15%), and practice (65.54%) sections. Majority CHCPs (90.91%) and HAs (96.06%) did not receive govt. training on cancer. Only 20.71% HAs and 25.2% CHCPs knew about the availability of cancer treatment options in Bangladesh. Uncertainty about the availability of relevant treatments or vaccinations at public facilities was also high. Having cancer in the family, income, duration of employment and workplace locations were important predictors of cancer related KAP scores. CONCLUSION: Healthcare workforce's knowledge gap and unfavorable attitude towards cancer may result in poor delivery of care at the rural level. For many people in rural areas, CHCPs and HAs are the first point of contact with the healthcare system and thus effective cancer control strategies must consider them as key stakeholders. Targeted training programs must be adopted to address the cancer related KAP gaps among CHCPs and HAs.