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Early detection

Cervical screening

Ethiopia’s national cervical screening programme is opportunistic. Screening happens if a woman reaches a facility that offers it and a health worker raises it. So the request usually has to come from her. The routine test is visual inspection with acetic acid, known as VIA. This page sets out what the visit involves, what happens if the test is positive, and what to ask for.

Key facts

Ethiopia against the WHO cervical cancer elimination targetsHorizontal bar chart of Ethiopia against the WHO 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination targets for 2030. Vaccinate: 51 per cent of girls aged 9 to 14 in the target cohort have received HPV vaccine, against a target of 90 per cent. Screen: 4 per cent of women aged 30 to 49 have ever been screened by any method, against a target of 70 per cent; the 70 per cent target requires a high-performance test and Ethiopia screens with VIA, so true coverage against it is lower still. Treat: no national figure is published, against a target of 90 per cent. 0% 50% 100% target 90% target 70% the 70% target requires a high-performance test; Ethiopia screens with VIA, so true coverage against it is lower still target 90% no national figure published 51% 4% Ethiopia against the WHO cervical cancer elimination targets WHO 90–70–90 targets for 2030 Vaccinate — girls 9–14 in the target cohort receiving HPV vaccine Screen — women 30–49 ever screened, by any method Treat — women with pre-cancer or cancer receiving treatment Ethiopia against the WHO cervical cancer elimination targetsHorizontal bar chart of Ethiopia against the WHO 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination targets for 2030. Vaccinate: 51 per cent of girls aged 9 to 14 in the target cohort have received HPV vaccine, against a target of 90 per cent. Screen: 4 per cent of women aged 30 to 49 have ever been screened by any method, against a target of 70 per cent; the 70 per cent target requires a high-performance test and Ethiopia screens with VIA, so true coverage against it is lower still. Treat: no national figure is published, against a target of 90 per cent. 0% 50% 100% Vaccinate — girls 9–14 in the target cohort receiving HPV vaccine target 90% Screen — women 30–49 ever screened, by any method target 70% the 70% target requires a high-performance test; Ethiopia screens with VIA, so true coverage against it is lower still Treat — women with pre-cancer or cancer receiving treatment target 90% no national figure published 51% 4% Ethiopia against the WHO cervical cancer elimination targets WHO 90–70–90 targets for 2030
Ethiopia against the three WHO 2030 cervical cancer elimination targets.
Sources
Sources, retrieved 14 August 2026. Vaccination: WHO Global Health Observatory indicator SDGHPVRECEIVED, HPV coverage among the primary target cohort of girls aged 9–14, Ethiopia 2025 = 51%. Ethiopia’s own administrative reporting records female HPV coverage of 90–94% for 2019 to 2023 and 96.0% first dose for 2025; both sit in WHO systems, the gap is unexplained, and neither is adopted here. The 90% target is defined on girls FULLY vaccinated by age 15, indicator 15HPVC_F, which is not published in the Global Health Observatory for Ethiopia, so the nearest verifiable figure is shown and labelled as such. Screening: GHO, women 30–49 ever screened, 2019 = 4% (95% CI 3–7). Treatment: no national figure is published.
Table
Ethiopia against the WHO 90–70–90 cervical cancer elimination targets for 2030. The 70% target requires a high-performance test; Ethiopia screens with VIA, so coverage against the target as written is lower still than the figure shown.
TargetEthiopia2030 target
Vaccinate (girls 9–14 in the target cohort receiving HPV vaccine)51%90%
Screen (women 30–49 ever screened, by any method)4%70%
Treat (women with pre-cancer or cancer receiving treatment)no national figure published90%

What happens at the visit

A health worker applies acetic acid — ordinary vinegar — to the cervix. Abnormal areas turn white, which shows where they are. The examination may be done by eye or with magnification.

If nothing abnormal appears, the woman is told when to come back. If an abnormal area is found, treatment is one of a small number of procedures. Thermal ablation uses a heated probe to destroy the abnormal cells. Cryotherapy uses a cold probe to do the same. A heated wire loop removes the tissue. Where more tissue needs examining, a cone biopsy is used. WHO describes treatment of pre-cancer as quick, with limited discomfort beside that of other medical procedures.

Two service models exist. The difference decides how many journeys a woman makes. In screen-and-treat, treatment is given at the same visit. In screen, triage and treat, a second test comes first and treatment needs a second visit. WHO recommends that model for women living with HIV.

The test Ethiopia uses, and the test the target counts

VIA detects changes already visible on the cervix. A high-performance test detects the virus that causes those changes. It is what WHO’s 2030 target of 70% is written for.

WHO published its implementation guidance for HPV-based screening programmes (opens in a new tab) on 14 July 2026. It states that samples a woman collects herself are as reliable as those collected by a health worker. Ethiopia’s November 2025 campaign was described as using VIA and HPV testing where available. So which test is used is worth asking about at the facility.

Symptoms are a separate route

Screening is for women without symptoms. WHO names the symptoms that should take a woman to a health worker, whatever her screening history:

  • Bleeding between periods, after sex or after menopause.
  • Vaginal discharge that is heavier than usual, or foul-smelling.
  • Persistent pain in the back, legs or pelvis.
  • Unexplained weight loss, fatigue or loss of appetite.
  • Discomfort in the vagina.
  • Swelling in the legs.

These have causes other than cancer, and they are a reason to be seen.

What this means in Ethiopia

In 2019, 4% of Ethiopian women aged 30–49 had ever been screened (WHO Global Health Observatory, indicator NCD_CXCA_SCREENED_WITHIN_TIMEPERIOD). Three WHO-family publications carry that figure independently. So the 2019 position is well established. Those screenings used VIA, so against the 2030 target as written the position is closer to zero than to 4%.

Screening has been offered at scale once. Across six regions from 7 November 2025, 275,607 women were screened against a target of 267,662 (opens in a new tab). 9,882 pre-cancerous lesions were found, and about 7,836 women were treated the same day. That describes a one-month campaign with external logistical support.

WHO AFRO recorded in November 2025 that more than 80% of Ethiopian cervical cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage (opens in a new tab). It attributes this to screening access, awareness and socioeconomic barriers. The figure comes from cases seen in facilities.

What you can do

  • Ask whether cervical screening is offered where you seek care, and which test is used. Nobody is called in, so the request usually has to come from you.
  • Ask what happens if the test is positive — whether treatment can be given at the same visit, and if not, where and when.
  • If you are living with HIV, ask about screening from age 25 and every three to five years. Untreated HIV shortens the interval between infection and cancer to 5–10 years.
  • If you have been vaccinated against HPV, you still need screening. The vaccine prevents infection. It does nothing about an infection already present.
  • If you have noticed a symptom, do not wait for a screening round. Screening is designed for women who have noticed nothing.