The United Nations has reaffirmed that cervical cancer can be prevented and successfully treated when women have timely access to vaccination, regular screening and appropriate medical care.
In a statement issued on Friday as part of its annual Cancer Awareness campaign, observed every January, the UN noted that cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer among women globally.
Cervical cancer is a form of reproductive cancer that begins in the cervix and can spread to other parts of the body if it is not detected and treated at an early stage.
According to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 660,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide in 2022, while about 350,000 women lost their lives to the disease in the same year.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that cervical cancer claims the life of a woman every two minutes, underscoring the urgency of prevention and early intervention.
Medical experts have established that nearly all cases of cervical cancer are associated with infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a widespread virus transmitted mainly through sexual contact.
Most sexually active individuals will contract HPV at some point in their lives. While the body’s immune system clears the virus naturally in many cases, persistent infection with certain high-risk HPV types can trigger abnormal cell changes that may eventually develop into cancer.
The WHO stressed that cervical cancer is both preventable and curable when there is adequate access to screening, vaccination and treatment services.
The organisation recommends HPV vaccination for girls aged between nine and 14 years, before the onset of sexual activity, as well as routine cervical screening starting from age 30 — or from 25 years for women living with HIV.
Health authorities note that when cervical cancer is detected early, it is among the most successfully treatable forms of cancer if properly managed.
However, the UN said unequal access to preventive measures and treatment continues to drive higher rates of illness and death in certain parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.
In 2020, 194 countries adopted a global strategy aimed at eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem. The launch date of the initiative, November 17, is now observed annually as World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
Outlining the targets of the WHO-led strategy, the UN said the goals to be achieved by 2030 include:
“90 per cent of girls to be fully vaccinated for HPV by age 15.
“70 per cent of women are to be screened with a high-performance test by age 35 and again at 45.
“70 per cent of women diagnosed to receive treatment.”
The WHO estimates that meeting these targets could prevent 74 million new cervical cancer cases and avert 62 million deaths globally by the year 2120.
