Tanzania

Govt. Tanzania x Skyconnect x HERHealthEQ

HHEQ in Tanzania

CEO Marissa Fayer securing the first equipment donation with partner Medgyn.

In 2018, HERHealthEQ kicked off the first phase of a 3-year project to donate equipment to detect and treat cervical cancer in five major geographic areas in Tanzania: Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Singida, Mwanza, and Kigoma in an effort to address the country’s 38% rate of cervical cancer.

HERHealthEQ has partnered with MedGyn Products Inc in the donation of cyroablation equipment as well as Tanzanian company, SkyConnect, which developed a cervical cancer screening platform, SEVIA, that leverages mobile health for real-time cervical cancer screening.  Local physicians are using VIA+ screening and visual inspection via the android app, with the 1st screening images sent to a remote oncologist. The oncologist then provides a second opinion and evaluation, giving feedback whether to proceed with biopsy. This initiative is also helping to develop the skills of local physicians in the more remote areas of Tanzania.

HERHealthEQ has provided cryoablation equipment to freeze precancerous and early stage cancerous cells to stop their progression. This enables the "See and Treat" methodology, as it can be done in clinic, instantly, and the procedure is painless, requiring only 1 to 2 minutes per patient.

While in Tanzania, CEO Marissa Fayer met with the several health directors of different regions to understand their health concerns and their priorities. They all indicated cervical cancer as their biggest women's health concern. 

The Minister of Health and the Vice President of Tanzania, who are both women, have committed to screening more than 3 million women for cervical cancer within the next 2 years. HERHealthEQ believes that screening is important, and the need for early intervention and treatment as soon as cervical cancer is detected is crucial. Routine screening is the most valuable asset.

As of February 2020, the devices donated have resulted in the screening of 1798 women, resulting in 38 biopsies and 52 treatments.