Ethiopia’s cervical screening programme is opportunistic. Screening is offered when a woman presents rather than by invitation (opens in a new tab). So the request usually has to come from her. The five questions below work at any facility, on any visit, whatever you came in for.
What to ask at any health facility
- “Is cervical screening offered here?” Ask it on any visit, for any reason. Nobody is called in for it, so the request usually has to come from you.
- “If not, which facility nearest to me offers it, and on which days?” A named place and a day are what make a journey possible to plan.
- “What happens if the test is positive?” Ask whether treatment can be given at the same visit. If not, ask where and when it would be given.
- “What will the visit and any treatment cost?” Ask before you travel. Out-of-pocket payment was 46% of Ethiopian health expenditure in 2023 (WHO Global Health Observatory, indicator
GHED_OOPSCHE_SHA2011). - If you have noticed a symptom, say so rather than asking for a screening test. Screening is for women who have noticed nothing. A symptom is a reason to be assessed now. The symptoms WHO names are listed on the cervical screening page.
Key facts
- Ethiopia has a national cervical screening programme. Its target age range is 30–49, and 15–49 for women living with HIV. Its routine test is visual inspection with acetic acid.
- Eighty-seven primary health care facilities were equipped under a donor-funded programme, recorded by WHO AFRO in November 2025 (opens in a new tab). WHO was procuring 30 additional thermal ablation machines as of the same month.
- Ethiopia intends to deliver these services within primary health care and the Health Extension Program. WHO AFRO recorded that intention in January 2026. The Health Extension Program reaches down to health posts at kebele level.
- The national campaign that ran from 7 November 2025 covered six regions — Addis Ababa, Amhara, Central Ethiopia, Oromia, Sidama and South Ethiopia. It ran for one month and has ended. So it describes where screening was offered then, rather than where it is offered now.
What the programme is designed to do
The target age range and the routine test describe the programme’s design. Whether a particular health centre runs it is a question for that health centre. That is why the questions above are worth asking at each place you attend.
The one facility count on the record is the 87 equipped under the donor-funded programme. Ethiopia intends to run these services through primary health care and the Health Extension Program. That is the same structure that already reaches households at kebele level.
If the change you have noticed is in a breast
That is a different route. It does not wait for a screening round. The breast awareness page sets out what to do.