In screening for cervical cancer in India, which modality is recommended as the primary screening test under the National Programme for NCD Control in resource-limited settings?

• A Colposcopy as the primary test
• B Pap smear every year
• C HPV DNA test every year
• D Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) with immediate treatment ✓

Explanation

WHO and India's NCD programme recommend Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) linked to immediate cryotherapy/LLETZ in a screen-and-treat approach for low-resource settings, due to low cost, immediate results, and no need for laboratory infrastructure. Pap smear requires cytology expertise; HPV DNA testing is recommended by WHO as the preferred screen in higher-resource settings. Colposcopy is a diagnostic, not primary screening, tool.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

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