Population-level cancer screening and cancer care in Bhutan, 2020-2023: a review

Screening of cancers is an important intervention in reducing the incidence and mortality related to cancers. Bhutan is one small country that is witnessing an increasing incidence and mortality related to cancers. The government implemented a time-bound population-level screening for gastric, cervical and breast cancers from 2020 to 2023 with an overall coverage of 91.2% of the eligible population. Among 370,225 individuals screened for H pylori, 32.4% tested positive; among 53,182 who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy, 255 (0.07%) had gastric cancer. Among 10,749 tested for HPV DNA, 9.3% were positive; among 9887 evaluated with colposcopy and biopsy, 154 (0.13%) had cervical cancer. For breast cancer screening, 72,283 underwent clinical breast examination, 845 mammography and cancer was detected in 73 (0.10%) individuals. In this article, we review how Bhutan implemented a population-level cancer screening programme with on boarding of multiple stakeholders and the participation of people across all districts.

Prevalence of drink-driving in Thimphu, Bhutan: Targeted surveillance at sentinel sites

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Bhutan has a high incidence of alcohol-related disease. With economic development, motorised transport is proliferating, increasing the potential for traffic injury. We investigated drink-driving in the country's largest urban environment.

METHODS

Working with police, we set up checkpoints at major thoroughfares in Thimphu, on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights, from May to July 2017. Police directed cars to testing bays where drivers were breathalysed and interviewed.

RESULTS

All 1596 drivers stopped by police were breathalysed, and 212 (13%) tested positive. Blood alcohol of >0.02 g/dL (which we defined as 'probable impairment') was detected in 178 drivers (11%), while 67 (4.2%) exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 g/dL. Probable impairment was more common in men, older drivers, on Tuesdays (versus Fridays or Saturdays) and later at night.

CONCLUSION

Drink-driving is very common at night-time in Bhutan. Routine roadside random breath-testing, and media campaigns emphasising the risk of apprehension and consequent serious financial and social penalties, should be considered to deter drink-driving.

Stillbirth rate in Bhutan: a retrospective facility-based study

Introduction: Stillbirth is an important public health concern; yet there is no reliable stillbirth rate for Bhutan. Hence the aim of this study was to estimate the stillbirth rate for Bhutan. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out for live and stillbirths recorded in delivery registers of all 253 health facilities across the country for a period of one year commencing 1st January till 31st December 2015. Results: There were a total of 11,126 live births and 108 stillbirths documented in delivery registers. The stillbirth rate from this data set was 10 per 1000 live births. Conclusions: The stillbirth rate for Bhutan from this study is 10 per 1000 live births lower than 16 per 1000 live births estimated in Lancet Series 2015. In order to find the true burden of stillbirths in the country, a surveillance may be instituted which can facilitate the prevention efforts while at the same time enable to strengthen information system.

Policy and governance to address depression and suicide in Bhutan: The national suicide-prevention strategy

Suicide and mental disorders are a growing public health issue in Bhutan, due in part to a rapidly transitioning society. The burden of suicide has been recognized by the Royal Government of Bhutan and, as a result, it introduced the country's first ever national suicide-prevention plan in 2015. The 3-year action plan takes a holistic approach to making suicide-prevention services a top social priority, through strengthening suicide-prevention policies, promoting socially protective measures, mitigating risk factors and reaching out to individuals who are at risk of suicide or affected by incidents of suicide. This article documents Bhutan's policy and governance for addressing depression and suicide within the context of its national suicide-prevention strategy, examines progress and highlights lessons for future directions in suicide prevention. Since the endorsement of the 3-year action plan by the prime minister's cabinet, the implementation of suicide-prevention measures has been accelerated through a high-level national steering committee. Activities include suicide-prevention actions by sectors such as health, education, monastic communities and police; building capacity of gatekeepers; and improving the suicide information system to inform policies and decision-making. Suicide-prevention activities have become the responsibility of local governments, paving the way for suicide prevention as an integral mandate across sectors and at grass-root levels in the Kingdom of Bhutan.