Barriers and Facilitators to Utilization of Cervical Cancer Screening Services in Eswatini: A Scoping Review.

Background: The implementation of cervical cancer screening programmes in Eswatini has been shown to be helpful in lowering both the occurrence and fatality rates associated with cervical cancer. However, there is a low level of screening participation among women.

Aim: To provide a comprehensive synthesis of the barriers and facilitators to the uptake of cervical screening services from the perspectives of the healthcare providers (supply side) and the individuals receiving the screening (demand side) in Eswatini.

Methods: The review followed the guidelines set out by the PRISMA scoping review criteria of peer-reviewed research publications that were published during the last five years. The publications included in the study were primarily centred on the documentation of Eswatini's nationwide endeavours in cervical cancer screening. A total of four databases were used, namely Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar.

Results: A total of 16 records fulfilled the established criteria for inclusion. The research primarily examined many aspects related to the supply side of cervical cancer (CC) screening. These aspects included the training and skills of health workers, the extent of CC screening service coverage, the capacity of health services, and the resource limitations that contribute to inadequate implementation and delivery of CC screening services.

Conclusions: The outcomes of the review revealed the need for implementers to take into account the interplay between demand-side and supply-side elements that support the provision and acceptance of cervical cancer screening services.

Contribution: The review presents evidence on barriers, enablers and practice in cervical cancer screening in Africa.