Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, despite the existence of effective tools, like vaccinating against the major cause of HPV to prevent the majority of cases and eventually eliminate this disease.
However, the adoption of a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule, recommended by the WHO, pushes progress, with 37 countries already adopting or intending to adopt this approach.
And now, at the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum in Colombia, governments, donors, multilateral institutions, and partners pledged significant commitments, including nearly U.S.$600 million in new funding, to eliminate cervical cancer - a significant step towards achieving the global goal.
Leaders will continue to deliberate at the forum in Cartagena de Indias this week, aiming to boost global efforts to end this preventable disease.
Every 2 minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer
"We have the knowledge and the tools to make cervical cancer history, but vaccination, screening, and treatment programmes are still not reaching the scale required... The single-dose HPV vaccine allows us to reach more children, while simultaneously scaling up screening programs... This initiative is about ensuring women have access to basic preventive care. Early detection holds the key to curing cervical cancer.
"Therefore, access to both screening and treatment is paramount. These services are intertwined, and for those requiring additional support, palliative care is equally vital. This first global forum is an important opportunity for governments and partners to invest in the global elimination strategy and address the inequities that deny women and girls access to the life-saving tools they need," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said.
"As we approach International Women's Day, I urge you to join this movement," Dr Tedros said. "We have the tools to eradicate this terrible disease, but HPV vaccination, screening programs, and treatment access need significant global improvement."
The strategy sets the 90-70-90 targets that must be met by 2030 for countries to be on the path towards eliminating cervical cancer.
However, the adoption of a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule, recommended by WHO, spurred progress, with 37 countries already adopting or intending to adopt this approach - including renewed efforts from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
DR Congo pledged to promptly introduce the HPV vaccine using the WHO-recommended single-dose schedule, striving to attain the cervical cancer elimination strategy's immunization coverage target for girls aged 9 to 14 years. Ethiopia is committed to a comprehensive vaccine delivery strategy, targeting a minimum of 95% coverage in 2024 for all 14-year-old girls, inclusive of those in and out of school.
this type of cancer is one of the most preventable
Ethiopia also plans to screen one million eligible women annually for cervical cancer, treating 90% of those identified with positive precancerous lesions. Nigeria, having initiated its HPV vaccine national program this year, adopts the single-dose schedule for girls aged 9 to 14 and commits to achieving at least 80% vaccine coverage. The commitment extends to tailored delivery strategies for school-based and outreach activities, to reach at least 80% coverage for targeted girls by 2026.
Sub-Saharan Africa faces a staggering number of cervical cancer diagnoses - roughly 100,000 women each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm, urging a rapid response to prevent 70,000 preventable deaths from this disease by 2030. The number of deaths from cervical cancer is projected to increase significantly if interventions are not effectively implemented. The tragedy is that while this type of cancer is one of the most preventable, poor access to prevention, screening and treatment contributes to 90% of deaths.
At the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum, Karen Nakawala, a cancer survivor from Zambia, took the stage and shared her compelling journey.
"I wish to thank you for this opportunity," Nakawala said. "I wish to thank you for recognizing our voices, and creating space for survivors at the table."
Natawala is an entrepreneur from Zambia - a passionate advocate for women's empowerment who believes it's the key to unlocking social and economic progress for all. Her vision focuses on strengthening women and young girls. This dedication took a personal turn when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer four years ago.
Fueled by her battle with cervical cancer, which tragically took some of her friends, Nakawala is now on a mission to spread awareness.
She spoke about the challenges faced by women with cervical cancer, including stigma, lack of access to screening and treatment, and the emotional and financial burden. "I know women who have lost their marriages because their husbands didn't know better," she shared. "Some lost their jobs because the labour laws didn't protect them enough. Some have lost their standing in society because of stigma due to lack of information and awareness about the disease."
I represent one of the biggest resources available in the cervical cancer elimination space
Nakawala questioned why preventable and treatable diseases claim lives unnecessarily, particularly in Africa, where 19 out of 20 countries with the highest cervical cancer burden are located and called for urgent action on the lack of accessible screening services, increased access to the HPV vaccine, screening, treatment options, and the financial barriers that hinder women from receiving necessary care.
"We can turn this scenario around," she said. "We do have the tools. We do have the resources. We do have the interventions and we do have the know-how and the expertise."
Nakawala highlighted the importance of survivor advocates and called for their support. "I represent one of the biggest resources available in the cervical cancer elimination space," she said. "I represent the lived experience."
Closing her address, Nakawala challenged the audience to translate awareness into tangible change. "It is time for us to move from vision to action," she said.
U.S.$600 Million to Combat Cervical Cancer Disparities
The U.S.$600 funding, including contributions from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Bank, aims to address challenges such as supply constraints, delivery issues, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This substantial funding injection will play a crucial role in scaling up vaccination, screening, and treatment programs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of cervical cancer is most pronounced.
In a joint effort to combat cervical cancer, the World Bank will contribute $400 million over three years, alongside U.S.$180 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and U.S.$10 million from UNICEF.
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Dr Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said: "HPV vaccines are a miracle of modern medicine, yet too many girls in low- and middle-income countries do not have access to them. There is no reason why women should die from cervical cancer when a vaccine to prevent it exists. With the addition of WHO's guidance for a one-dose HPV vaccine schedule, cervical cancer elimination is within reach. Now is the time for governments and partners around the world to increase HPV vaccine access and protect future generations from cervical cancer."
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer globally, and claims the lives of nearly 350,000 women annually, with an estimated 660,000 new cases diagnosed. Shockingly, over 90% of these cases and deaths occur in developing countries. The WHO warns that without effective intervention, global cervical cancer deaths will increase to 460,000 by 2040 in LMICs will have the greatest relative increase.
A global strategy targeting the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem predicts significant benefits if key goals are achieved by 2030. These goals include vaccinating 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine by 15, screening 70% of women with high-performance tests between 35 and 45, and treating 90% of women with precancer or invasive cancer.
If implemented in low- and middle income countries, this strategy could see a 42% drop in global cervical cancer cases by 2045 and a near-elimination (97% reduction) by 2120, preventing over 74 million cases. Additionally, the strategy could avert millions of deaths, with 300,000 fewer deaths by 2030, over 14 million by 2070, and over 62 million by 2120.
This translates to a significant reduction in the disease burden and improved health outcomes for millions of women globally.
