Every year, over 350,000 women die from cervical cancer and another 660,000 are diagnosed. As a consequence, children are orphaned, families impoverished and communities diminished by the loss of mothers, wives, daughters and sisters. And yet, unlike most other cancers, almost all these cases and deaths can be averted.
We have powerful vaccines that can prevent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer; we have diagnostics to detect it early; and we have treatments for those it strikes. With these tools, cervical cancer can not only be stopped; it could become the first cancer to be eliminated. Some high-income countries are already close to elimination, meaning fewer than four cases per 100,000 women.
But in many low- and middle-income countries, these tools are still not available, which is why 94% of cervical cancer deaths occur in those countries. The double tragedy of cervical cancer is that this is not just a health issue; it is an equity issue. This past week marked the global “Day of Action for Cervical Cancer Elimination,” with vaccination drives, screening campaigns, and advocacy events.
Iconic landmarks are being lit up in teal, including Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer monument, which welcomed world leaders arriving for the G20 Summit, which started today. In 2018, WHO launched a global call to action to eliminate cervical cancer, which was followed in 2020 by the adoption by all 194 WHO Member States of a Global S.