Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 107 | Published: 13 Oct 2026
Enyonam Ama Kwawukume1, Maxwell Afranie Appiah1,&, Mawuli Gohoho2, Thelma Akyaamah Manu3, Joshua Appiah Arthur4
1Ghana Health Service, Obuasi East Health Directorate, Tutuka, Ashanti Region, Ghana; 2Ghana Health Service, Jasikan Municipal Health Directorate, Jasikan, Oti Region, Ghana; 3Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Department of Haematology, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana; 4Ghana Health Service, Disease Surveillance Department, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Maxwell Afranie Appiah, Ghana Health Service, Obuasi East Health Directorate, Tutuka, Ashanti Region, Ghana, Email: maxwell.appiah@ghs.gov.gh
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 13 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Visual inspection with acetic acid, pap smear, precancerous cervical lesions, mining municipality, Ghana
©Enyonam Ama Kwawukume et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Enyonam Ama Kwawukume et al., Precancerous cervical lesions and associated factors among women in mining communities in the Obuasi East Municipality, Ghana: a community-based study. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):107. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-00107
Despite the importance of early detection, cervical cancer screening uptake in Ghana remains low, and community-based evidence on precancerous cervical lesions and associated factors remains limited, particularly in mining communities. This study assessed the prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions and associated factors among women in mining communities in Obuasi East Municipality in Ghana.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 421 women in Obuasi East Municipality from March 24 to June 23, 2025. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) test was used as the primary screening method to detect precancerous cervical lesions. However, those who tested VIA-positive underwent confirmatory cervical cytology using a Pap smear. Participants completed an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire before the VIA procedure. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with VIA-positive precancerous cervical lesions at a 5% significance level.
The prevalence of VIA-positive precancerous cervical lesions was 11.16%. Among VIA-positive women, 40.43% (19/47) had cytological abnormalities confirmed by Pap smear. The VIA positivity was highest among those aged 25 to 49 years (13.57%), followed by those aged 15 to 24 years (10.42%) and those aged 50 to 65 years (6.41%). HIV infection (AOR=10.20; 95% CI: 1.12–17.34) and employment (AOR=0.37; 95% CI: 0.16–0.82) were statistically associated with VIA positivity.
The study showed that about one in ten women screened in this mining municipality had VIA-positive precancerous cervical lesions, and HIV infection and employment were independently associated. We recommend enhancing cervical cancer prevention strategies in Ghana by expanding access to community-based screening services and prioritising women living with HIV for screening and follow-up care.
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