NEW DELHI, India — A woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes, despite the disease being both preventable and treatable, the United Nations said on Monday, marking the first official World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
Observed on November 17, the day was designated by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly to raise global awareness about the disease and increase access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, high-quality screening, and treatment services.
“Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer. Access to screening, vaccination, and treatment is key to ending this preventable disease,” the UN shared in a post on X. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed this message, emphasizing that cervical cancer is entirely preventable with timely interventions.
Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. In 2022 alone, approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths were recorded, according to WHO data. Roughly 90 percent of these deaths occurred in low-income countries with limited access to healthcare resources such as HPV vaccines and cancer screening.
The disease is primarily caused by persistent infection with HPV, a common sexually transmitted virus. Women living with HIV face an especially high risk — six times greater than that of HIV-negative women.
Early detection and prompt treatment can cure cervical cancer. Strategies such as HPV vaccination, regular screening, and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions have proven to be effective and cost-efficient in reducing cervical cancer rates.
The theme for this year’s observance is “Act Now: Eliminate Cervical Cancer,” urging global action to meet the WHO’s 90-70-90 targets by 2030. These targets include vaccinating 90 percent of girls by age 15, screening 70 percent of women with a high-performance test by ages 35 and 45, and ensuring 90 percent of women with cervical disease receive treatment.
“Elimination is within reach if we act now, together — ensuring every girl is protected through HPV vaccination and every woman has access to prevention, screening, and care,” the WHO stated. (Source: IANS)
