A cervical cancer-free future: First-ever global commitment to eliminate a cancer

PAHO supports WHO’s new global strategy and will work with countries and partners in the Americas to eliminate cancer that kills 34,000 regional women each year

Geneva, 17 November 2020 – WHO’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, launched today, outlines three key steps: vaccination, screening and treatment. Successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050.

Today’s development represents a historic milestone because it marks the first time that 194 countries have committed to eliminating cervical cancer - following adoption of a resolution at this year’s World Health Assembly. Meeting the following targets by 2030 will place all countries on the path toward elimination:

90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age
70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by age 45
90% of women identified with cervical disease treated (90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed).

The strategy also stresses that investing in the interventions to meet these targets can generate substantial economic and societal returns. An estimated US$ 3.20 will be returned to the economy for every dollar invested through 2050 and beyond, owing to increases in women’s workforce participation. The figure rises to US$ 26.00 when the benefits of women’s improved health on families, communities and societies are considered.

“Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make that dream a reality,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But we can only eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem if we match the power of the tools we have with unrelenting determination to scale up their use globally.”

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. It is also curable if detected early and adequately treated. Yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. Without taking additional action, the annual number of new cases of cervical cancer is expected to increase from 570 000 to 700 000 between 2018 and 2030, while the annual number of deaths is projected to rise from 311,000 to 400,000. In low- and middle-income countries, its incidence is nearly twice as high and its death rates three times as high as those in high-income countries.

“The huge burden of mortality related to cervical cancer is a consequence of decades of neglect by the global health community. However, the script can be rewritten,” said WHO Assistant Director-General Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela. “Critical developments include the availability of prophylactic vaccines; low-cost approaches to screening and treating cervical cancer precursors; and novel approaches to surgical training. Through a shared global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no-one behind, the countries of the world are forging a new path to ending cervical cancer. “

The strategy is launched at a challenging time, however.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to preventing deaths due to cancer, including the interruption of vaccination, screening and treatment services; border closures that reduce the availability of supplies and prevent the transit of skilled biomedical engineers to maintain equipment; new barriers preventing women in rural areas from travelling to referral centers for treatment; and school closures that interrupt school vaccine programs. To the extent possible, however, WHO urges all countries to ensure that vaccination, screening and treatment can continue safely, with all necessary precautions.

“The fight against cervical cancer is also a fight for women’s rights: the unnecessary suffering caused by this preventable disease reflects the injustices that uniquely affect women’s health around the world,” said Dr Simelela. “Together, we can make history to ensure a cervical cancer-free future.”

The launch is being celebrated with a day of action across the globe, as ministries of health, partners, and cancer advocates engage in activities to improve access to cancer prevention and treatment for girls and women.

Around the world, monuments are being illuminated in the cervical teal, from Niagara Falls in North America to The Dubai Frame, to city skylines across Australia.

Cervical cancer in the Americas

In the region of the Americas, more than 72,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 34,000 lose their lives to the disease each year. Cervical cancer is among the leading causes of death from cancer in women in 23 countries in the Americas. In addition, inequalities in access to health care affect the health status of women with cancer. In Latin America and the Caribbean, mortality rates from cervical cancer are three times higher than in North America.

The HPV vaccine, which can prevent cervical cancer and is recommended for girls aged 9 to 14 years, is available in public health programs in 43 countries and territories in the region. However, in most countries, coverage with the recommended two doses does not reach 90% of the target population. Moreover, an estimated 32 million women (over 30 years old) in the region need to be tested for HPV.

In September 2018, the region’s health ministers agreed to a plan that with PAHO support, aims to reduce new cases and deaths from cervical cancer by one-third by 2030 and is aligned with the global strategy launched now.

“The Americas is recognized globally for pioneering the elimination of diseases such as smallpox, polio, and neonatal tetanus and can also eliminate cervical cancer,” said PAHO Director Dr. Carissa F. Etienne. “PAHO fully supports this cervical cancer elimination strategy and is committed to working with Member States and partners to reach these new targets.”

More information about the events in countries around the world and monument lightings will be posted here

Update: Launch of the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer