As part of its annual Cancer Awareness campaign observed every January, the United Nations has reiterated that timely access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, regular screening and appropriate medical care can significantly reduce both illness and death from cervical cancer. The disease currently ranks as the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer among women globally.
Cervical cancer develops in the cervix and, if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 660,000 women were diagnosed with the disease in 2022, while an estimated 350,000 died from related complications in the same year.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the disease claims the life of one woman every two minutes, highlighting the urgent need for stronger prevention, early detection and treatment programmes worldwide.
Medical research shows that nearly all cases of cervical cancer are linked to infection with HPV, a common virus transmitted mainly through sexual contact. Most sexually active people will contract HPV at some point, and in many cases the body clears the infection naturally. However, persistent infection with certain high-risk strains can cause abnormal cell changes that may progress into cancer over time.
The WHO has stressed that cervical cancer is both preventable and curable when health systems provide adequate screening, vaccination and treatment services. It recommends HPV vaccination for girls aged nine to 14 years, before sexual activity begins, and routine cervical screening for women from age 30, or from 25 years for women living with HIV.
Health experts note that when cervical cancer is detected early, it is among the most treatable forms of cancer, with high survival rates under proper care. Despite this, the UN said unequal access to vaccines, screening and treatment continues to fuel higher rates of disease and death, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and parts of Southeast Asia.
In response to these disparities, 194 countries in 2020 adopted a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. The initiative, led by the WHO, is marked annually on November 17 as World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
Under the strategy, countries aim to achieve key targets by 2030: vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against HPV by age 15; screening 70 per cent of women with high-performance tests by ages 35 and 45; and ensuring 70 per cent of women diagnosed with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment.
The WHO estimates that meeting these goals could prevent up to 74 million new cases of cervical cancer and avert 62 million deaths worldwide by the year 2120, making elimination of the disease an achievable public health milestone.