The scale of the problem
Every year, hundreds of thousands of women die from cervical cancer -- even though an extremely effective vaccine exists. But low- and middle-income countries still carry much of the mortality burden of this type of cancer, which is largely caused by an infection with certain high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Africa, in particular, is severely affected, with 18 of the 20 countries with the highest cervical cancer mortality burden located on the continent.
Malaria Consortium is working to apply its deep expertise in malaria prevention, control and elimination to other urgent areas of global health including cervical cancer. When diagnosed early and managed effectively, it is one of the most successfully treated forms of cancer.
Global targets for a healthier future
In order to one day eliminate cervical cancer, the World Health Organization has set out a global strategy: 90 percent of girls to be vaccinated by the age of 15; 70 percent of women screened by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45; and 90 percent, respectively, of women with pre-cancerous cells treated and with invasive cancer managed.
In low- and middle-income countries, a perfect storm of factors is behind the consistently high disease burden, including poor access to health services, a lack of knowledge of the disease among the public, including how to prevent and treat it, and inadequate infrastructure for screening and pathology.
How Malaria Consortium is tackling the problem
In Cambodia, it's estimated that more than 1,500 women develop cervical cancer every year, resulting in nearly 800 deaths.
In response, Malaria Consortium has launched two new projects: Supporting Health and Equity for Rural Cervical Cancer Access in Northern Cambodia (SHERCAN), and HPV Catch-up.
"These projects allow us to develop a gender-focused approach that is particularly relevant in the Cambodian context," says Melanie Hubault, Cambodia Country Director for Malaria Consortium. "Through them, we are utilising our expertise in reaching the hard-to-reach populations, with the ambition, in the coming years, to increasingly implement an integrated health approach across our programmes."
SHERCAN, with funding from Malaria Consortium US, seeks to identify interventions that would enable better access to cervical screening and treatment in remote and marginalised communities. We are identifying the barriers that are preventing communities from accessing these services, and training community and primary healthcare workers to engage with the community, to raise awareness of HPV, cervical cancer and preventive methods among adults.
Part of the work will also entail exploring the contextual barriers -- these could include, stigma, poor education or distance to health facilities, that stop women from accessing cervical cancer treatment and services in this region.
The second project, HPV Catch-up is being implemented alongside SHERCAN and complements its approach. With support from the Lin Foundation, the project aims to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine to ensure better health outcomes for women and girls. This involves creating awareness of the vaccine among schoolgirls in Cambodia, as well as training health staff to deliver vaccination programmes in a sensitive and culturally tailored manner. So far, we have recruited village health support groups (VHSGs), who work alongside healthcare professionals and educators to co-create health promotion plans. This ensures that the programme is as inclusive and relevant as possible to the target communities.
Laying the foundations for future sustainable impact
One village health volunteer from Banteay Chmar Khang Ley, Mr Yum Sophal, represents the growing number of local health volunteers who are stepping up as community ambassadors to tackle this preventable illness. He said: "I am happy that I can contribute to promoting cervical cancer and HPV vaccination to my villagers and children." With the knowledge gained from the training and resources provided by the HPV Catch-up project, Mr Sophal is now an advocate for change in his village, confident that his efforts will protect his community.
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"The launch of these two projects dedicated to preventing cervical cancer is a fantastic opportunity for Malaria Consortium to further its commitment to those populations most at risk of disease. These projects come at a particularly favourable political moment, as the Royal Government of Cambodia has just introduced a National Cancer Control Plan for 2025-2030," says Melanie Hubault.
Our work in Cambodia is a prime example of Malaria Consortium's commitment to prioritising health equity for women and girls, particularly those living in remote, hard-to-reach and marginalised communities. Through developing culturally tailored and gender-sensitive approaches, communities can experience better, sustainable health outcomes.
Read more about the SHERCAN project: Supporting health and equity for rural cervical cancer access in northern Cambodia
And the HPV project: HPV Catch-up
