Strengthening health research capacity from within Samoa.

This article reflects on the challenges of strengthening health research capacity from within Samoa. It examines the status of health research and related curricula in Samoa and discusses the outcomes of a new postgraduate applied social and health research methods course taught in Samoa for the first time from 5 January to 12 February 2010 by the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago in collaboration with the Centre for Samoan Studies, National University of Samoa. The article argues that collaborative health research courses such as this methods paper can fill a curriculum gap in New Zealand and Samoa and contribute directly toward strengthening Samoa health research capacity in ways that benefit both Samoa and New Zealand. This initiative can be a flagship for strategies operating from within Samoa that can build real win-win type partnerships. These can be ably led by Samoans for the ultimate development of an affordable and sustainable quality health and education infrastructure for Samoa.

National audit of women with abnormal cervical smears in New Zealand.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the follow-up of women with abnormal cervical smears identified by the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) in New Zealand. DESIGN: Survey and clinical audit. SETTING: The study took place in New Zealand. POPULATION: The population included women aged 20-69 years enrolled on the NCSP with first abnormal smear recorded in 1999. METHODS: Participants were interviewed, and clinical data collected from the NCSP-register, and from clinicians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: The overall response rate was 57%. The proportions of women whose initial assessment, treatment or follow-up fell outside recommended times were between 17 and 35%. Of women with high-grade smears, 72% underwent a treatment procedure. Of these, 91% were excision biopsies, 6% hysterectomies and 4% ablation procedures. Approximately 10% of women had persistent or recurrent abnormalities at 6 and 12 months after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results were largely reassuring, but limited by the low response rate. Most women were managed within current clinical guidelines. Areas requiring improvement were identified, in particular in relation to longer than recommended waiting times for assessment and treatment.