.jpg)
Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid is the full form of “VIA”. VIA is a simple inexpensive test with moderate sensitivity and specificity for screening that can be combined with simple treatment procedures for early cervical lesions.
About VIA Test
Visual Inspection with Acidic Acid (VIA) is a simple inexpensive test with moderate sensitivity and specificity for screening that can be combined with simple treatment procedures for early cervical lesions. Health workers or nurses can be trained as test providers; the results are available immediately. VIA is feasible in many low-resource areas where it is difficult to sustain high-quality cytology programs.
An expert group also recommended to the Government of India the use of VIA as the primary careening test to be performed by trained nurses or health workers in primary healthcare. Scaling up the inclusion of VIA-based programs into national programs is already taking place in many low- and middle-income countries. The evolution of its impact on service delivery will largely determine the program’s success when introduced in routine healthcare.
Training & Quality Maintenance of VIA Test
Four female health workers were recruited and trained to run this program. The ANMS were trained on cervical screening methods and cryotherapy using the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) manual for 4 days through didactic lectures, practical training sessions, and using digital manuals. Following this, hands-on experience under supervision for two subsequent weeks allowed them to screen independently in the community. Periodic reorientation sessions were conducted to improve quality assurance. The medical officer was trained in performing coloscopy and followed the steps described in the IARC manual on coloscopy.
We conclude that VIA by trained female health workers is a safe and acceptable and effective test that can save lives from cervical cancer even in remote areas with few resources. The performance of this test can be improved with good quality training and supervision quality assurance is essential for a successful VIA-based program.