Ifakara Health Institute, in partnership with St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital and the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, is this week hosting the 8th Colposcopy Course, an intensive training designed to strengthen cervical cancer prevention and early detection skills among healthcare providers in Tanzania.

The week-long course, accredited by the Medical Council of Tanganyika (MCT), kicked off on 26 January 2026 and is taking place in the Kilombero area of Ifakara, Morogoro region. It has brought together 30 health professionals from across the country for hands-on experience in HPV screening, diagnosis, and community outreach.

Hands-on learning from Tanzania, Swiss experts

Combining classroom lectures, live demonstrations, and supervised clinical practice, the training is led by a mix of Tanzanian and Swiss experts. These include Dr. André Kind, Deputy Chief Physician of Gynecology; Dr. Andreas Martin Kaufmann, an HPV screening specialist from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Dr. Brigitte Frey, an obstetrician and gynecologist from Switzerland; Dr. Sr. Nathalia Makunja of St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital; and Dorcas Mnzava from Ifakara Health Institute.

Cervical Cancer: A persistent threat

Cervical cancer remains a major but preventable threat to women, particularly in low-resource settings where limited access to screening and low awareness often lead to late diagnosis. In response to this challenge, the partners extended the training beyond the classroom into the community.

Community Impact: Screening and treatment

As part of the programme, around 500 women from the Kilombero community have received free counselling, screening, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HPV-related cervical pre-cancer at Kilombero Hospital, located within the Illovo Kilombero Sugar Company area. This outreach component allows trainees to gain real-world clinical experience while directly benefiting local women.

The initiative is supported by Swiss Medical Teams and Fondation Solidarité International, reflecting a shared commitment to expanding access to life-saving cervical cancer services.

This course builds on similar trainings conducted in February and September last year and forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national capacity for cervical cancer screening and management through practical, field-based learning.