program Screening women with cervical cancer using AI It was released in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The community organization Ho Chi Minh City Public Health Association (HPHA) aims to partner with listed Australian company Trustscreen and its local distributor Gorton Health Services to screen 260,000 women in the city over a five-year period.
The partnership follows the signing of the first memorandum in November.
What is that
This program utilizes Trustscreen’s cervical cancer screening device. It is powered by AI and shows accuracy comparable to HPV DNA testing and liquid-based cytologies.
HPHA will hold screenings of women aged 30 to 49 at district health centers and private clinics, collecting epidemiological data on cervical cancer and pre-cancer. Tu Du Hospital, Hung Vuong Hospital and UNG Buou Hospital are reportedly offering technical support.
There are also plans to expand the program to other Vietnamese provinces after the pilot in Ho Chi Minh City.
Why is it important?
Approximately 4,000 Vietnamese women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with about half dying. Given this significant burden, the Vietnamese government has set a goal of screening address populations of 60%, or 36 million, of women aged 30-54 due to cervical cancer. However, only a quarter of those have been screened in the past five years. Meanwhile, HPV vaccinations are not yet included in Vietnam’s national vaccination schedule. Free administration of HPV vaccines will only begin in 2026.
HPHA chose Trashscreen’s non-invasive, AI-driven solution to address the need for early and rapid detection of cervical cancer in large populations without costly cytology and laboratory infrastructure.
“This HPHA screening program also serves as an important reference site for neighboring countries that may be considering similar large screening programs to improve women’s health,” added Trustscreen CEO Marty Dillon.
Bigger trends
Last year, Fujifilm opened its first cancer-centric health screening centre in Southeast Asia in Vietnam. The NURA Centre, run by Vietnam Japan Health Technology, uses AI to support screening for cancer and lifestyle diseases.
In addition to Vietnam, China is another Asian country that uses AI for cervical cancer screening. In 2019, the Chinese Maternal and Child Health Therapy Association and Uhan University introduced AI and cloud-based diagnostic platforms to support screening compensation for cervical cancer in the country.
Other related news has resulted in a new AI-driven cervical cancer diagnosis system in the United States being given regulatory approval. last year, Hologic received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration’s digital cytology system to integrate Deep Learning and Advanced Imaging Technology to detect cancerous lesions and cervical cancer cells. This diagnostic tool is now available in Australia and New Zealand.
