Cervical Cancer

A Preventable Disease

Every 2 minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer, totaling over 300,000 deaths per year.

Significant disparities exist: over 90% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries.

Cervical cancer is robbing us of our mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers, impacting our communities and threatening the social and economic fabric of society.

Cervical cancer is preventable, treatable, and the only cancer with a clear path to elimination.

Thousands of women are dying unnecessarily at the prime of their lives from this preventable and treatable disease.

If we do not act now, deaths from cervical cancer in LMICs will rise by almost 50% by 2040.

At this critical juncture, we must empower women and rally our neighbors, community leaders, and governments worldwide to take action and save millions of lives.

About Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a cancer of the entrance of the womb (uterus). It can take years, even decades, to develop and symptoms often do not appear until advanced stages. Cervical cancers begin when normal cells in the cervix gradually develop abnormal changes and become pre-cancerous. The mutated pre-cancerous cells can grow and develop into cancer over time. For most women the pre-cancerous cells and lesions will go away without treatment; however, for others, they may develop into invasive cancer.

The majority of precancerous lesions (99.8%) and cervical cancers are attributed to the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV infection is very common—most adults who have had sexual contact will get an HPV infection at some point in their lifetime; however, they may never know, as most HPV infections are cleared naturally by the body’s immune system. Unfortunately, persistent infections can lead to abnormal cellular growth and pre-cancerous lesions that develop into cancer over time. Women with weak immune systems are less likely to clear HPV infections. Women with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer and develop it at a younger age.

Cervical cancer poses a massive health burden for women, their families, and their communities. Globally, in 2018, over 300,000 women died from cervical cancer and over half a million were newly diagnosed with the disease. Since the disease primarily affects women in their prime adult years, illness and death from cervical cancer puts emotional and financial strain on families, communities, and health systems.

Concerningly, significant disparities exist: over 90% of deaths are in LMICs, robbing families of mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers, impacting their communities and threatening the social and economic fabric of society. The disparities are the result of inequities in access to cervical cancer prevention and treatment services. Simply put, women without access to health services, due to poverty, stigma, and lack of knowledge, die with greater frequency. Those who are HIV+ are especially at risk.

Cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, yet it is still the fourth most common cancer among women and the bulk of the burden is carried by the less-developed regions of the world. At this critical juncture, we must empower women and rally our neighbors, community leaders, and governments worldwide to take action to put all countries on the path to elimination, and save millions of lives.

Action for Elimination

Every two minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer—totaling over 300,000 preventable deaths per year. Concerningly, women in developing countries bear the brunt of this disease and over 90% of related deaths occur in LMICs.

Without action, these cervical cancer deaths and inequalities between countries will continue to increase. Fortunately, cervical cancer is preventable, treatable, and there is a clear path to eliminating this public health problem along with its devastating consequences on women, communities, and society.

With its three key strategies and clear 2030 targets, the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem provides a roadmap to eliminate cervical cancer by reducing the number of cases to 4 cases per 100,000 women per year. Together, we can end cervical cancer.

Source: GLOBOCAN 2018

To reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer, each country must meet a series of 2030 targets for HPV vaccination, screening using high-performance tests, and effective treatment of precancerous lesions and invasive cancers. Civil society will play a significant role in rallying governments to commit to national plans to eliminate cervical cancer and in meeting the elimination targets in the WHO Global Strategy.

We have the knowledge and the tools to stop this preventable disease from killing thousands of women, devastating communities, and aggravating health disparities. It’s time to work together–across society–to empower our women and rally our neighbors, community leaders, and governments to put all countries on the path to elimination and save millions of lives.

Learn more about the WHO Global Strategy and the benefits to society of investing in eliminating cervical cancer.

To start the path to elimination, countries must meet the following targets by 2030:

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

The Women Behind the Statistics

Who are the women behind the startling statistics? Too often their personal stories are overshadowed by the numbers, and their voices are lost. Hear first-hand accounts of the fears, concerns, and lessons from women who have shared their cervical cancer stories.

How do we Eliminate Cervical Cancer?

The WHO’s Global Strategy guides action, with targets to prevent cervical cancer via HPV vaccination, screening using high-performance tests and treatment of precancerous lesions and invasive cancers. Correspondingly, the three key advocacy areas we need to address to meet these targets are:

HPV Vaccination

Prevent the disease before it starts. HPV vaccine is one of our most cost-effective tools against cervical cancer, protecting against at least 70% of all cervical cancers.

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Screening & Treatment of Precancerous Lesions

Detect early and prevent the progression of the disease. Early detection, diagnosis, and prompt treatment of precancerous lesions are crucial to driving down incidence in the next decades by preventing the development of cervical cancer.

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Treatment & Palliative Care of Invasive Cancers

Minimize disability and suffering. Timely availability of and access to quality, affordable treatment and palliative care can help slow the progression of cervical cancer and protect the dignity and quality of life for women living with this disease.

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HPV Vaccination

Prevent the disease before it starts. HPV vaccine is one of our most cost-effective tools against cervical cancer, protecting against at least 70% of all cervical cancers.

Learn More