VIA/cryo

Johns Hopkins University

VIA/cryo

Contact Solution Provider

Blumenthal & Sankaranarayan
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore
USA

Solution Overview & Benefits

VIA/cryo is a medical diagnostic test followed by a simple procedure (if indicated) developed by Dr. Paul Blumenthal and Dr. Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan. Cervical cancer accounts for 30% of all female cancer deaths worldwide. Regular screenings and Pap smears are expensive and often difficult to administer and verify in rural areas. VIA/cryo is a 'one-stop' alternative that utilizes household vinegar to coat the cervix and expose pre-cancerous tumors by blanching them. Nurses trained in the procedure can then administer cryotherapy by freezing off pre-cancerous lesions. Cryotherapy can be conducted anywhere with access to carbon dioxide tanks, commonly found in Coca-Cola or other major bottling factories.

History & Development

Developed at Johns Hopkins University in the 1990s, pilot tests have helped screen and treat more than 500,000 women in Thailand. The country leads more than 20 other countries where the practice has been adopted. Regular screenings in the target population can help drive down the rate of cervical cancer, and can encourage rural women to participate in regular health checkups. The diagnostic is inexpensive and can be administered by local practitioners who have been specially trained.

Availability

Publicly available: yes
Countries where available: Guatamala, Kenya, Rwanda, India, Thailand and others
Price range (USD): 1 to 20 USD
Offered or can be licensed for local manufacture: yes. VIA/cryo is a method using readily available instruments and supplies

Additional Information