Figures from the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), presented on Tuesday at a national cancer symposium in Kigali, show that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among girls by the age of 15 has reached 90 percent, meeting a key benchmark for prevention.
Progress has also been made across the screening and treatment continuum, although gaps remain. Screening coverage among women aged 30 to 49 currently stands at 31 percent, well below the national target of 70 percent. Treatment coverage has reached 81 percent, compared with a goal of 90 percent, highlighting the need to further strengthen access and follow-up care.
Addressing the symposium, RBC Director General Claude Muvunyi reaffirmed the country’s commitment to eliminating preventable cancer deaths, with cervical cancer at the center of national efforts. He said the goal goes beyond health outcomes, describing cervical cancer elimination as an issue of equity, women’s rights and intergenerational wellbeing.
Rwanda has set a target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2027, three years ahead of the World Health Organization’s global goal of 2030, positioning the country as a continental leader in cancer prevention and control.
The symposium brought together health officials, clinicians and partners to review strategies for accelerating progress, while also addressing cervical and breast cancers, which remain the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Rwanda.
To close remaining gaps, the RBC called for coordinated action across the health system and communities. Health workers were urged to maintain high-quality, people-centred prevention, screening, treatment and follow-up services, while communities were encouraged to seek early screening, adhere to medical advice and complete prescribed treatment.