Strong Supply Chains are Essential for Meeting Global Cervical Cancer Screening Goals

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease that claims the lives of nearly 350,000 women each year, with the vast majority of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While early detection of pre-cancerous lesions through screening can save lives, women in LMICs face barriers like limited access to screening services, and lack of available and affordable treatment options that often result in many seeking care only in the late stages of the disease. As of 2019, two in three women aged 30–49 worldwide had never been screened.

To expand access to cervical cancer screening, public health programs are increasingly replacing traditional Pap smears with WHO-recommended HPV testing, which offers superior sensitivity and accuracy. By utilizing point-of-care technologies that provide rapid results, systems can implement “screen-and-treat” models; these single-visit approaches combine testing with immediate clinical intervention, effectively minimizing client loss to follow-up in low-resource settings. However, the success of these innovations depends entirely on a robust supply chain that ensures screening and treatment products are consistently available at the site of care. To address these systemic gaps, JSI’s experts have identified three key considerations that can fundamentally reduce barriers to care for women.

1. Strengthen New Product Forecasting

Forecasting future demand for new products to inform how much a country should buy and when. One challenge is predicting the actual speed with which health workers will be trained and begin providing products. For example, across multiple countries where JSI supported governments to introduce the injectable contraceptive, DMPA-SC, the pace of training health providers to administer the product did not always match the planned training, leading to less of the product being used than originally estimated.

As screening services expand, demand for diagnostic and treatment commodities rises, making supply planning a moving target. To manage uncertainties, program managers who are monitoring which facilities are providing new services and products should meet with supply chain managers and review national forecasts and supply plans routinely. Managers can also opt for smaller, more frequent shipments from manufacturers to the national supply chain that can be adjusted to respond to actual demand.

2. Use Agile Inventory Management Strategies

Ensuring product availability for evolving health programs requires careful management and flexibility. For example, short shelf-life products, such as some diagnostic reagent kits, require agile strategies to protect against product expiration. In some cases, by the time products clear customs, they have already lost three to six months of shelf life. One effective tactic is to reduce inventory levels for items that need to move more quickly through the country’s supply chain and replenish them more frequently. Prepositioning products at health facilities in advance can also help to avoid supply disruptions, but requires close monitoring to reduce the risk of expiry on the shelf before they can reach the patient.

3. Adapting supply chain information systems

A supply chain is only as strong as the data that fuels it. For health providers to actually receive the supplies they need, a logistics management information system (LMIS) must include all new products. Product ordering and reporting may need to be adapted based on shifting requirements. For example, routine service delivery and high-volume outreach campaigns require different ordering and reporting procedures. Integrating barcode-based tracking and electronic LMIS platforms can strengthen visibility across the chain, from sample collection to final reporting. In Zambia, JSI supported the design and implementation of the electronic LMIS, including adding new products (e.g., numerous HIV and malaria diagnostics and medicines) to existing systems and reporting processes.

Achieving the 2030 global cervical cancer elimination goals depends on making supply chains stronger and more effective. Success requires a reliable supply chain network that ensures every screening product is available at the point-of-care. By strengthening forecasting, adopting agile inventory strategies, and prioritizing data visibility, we can bridge the gap between global strategy and local delivery, ensuring that life-saving screening becomes a reality for women everywhere.