By Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia. Globally, every 2 minutes1, a woman dies from cervical cancer – despite the disease being preventable and curable. In WHO South-East Asia, an estimated 160,000 new cases and 100,000 deaths due to cervical cancer were reported in 2022. Representing approximately one-fourth of global disease burden.
On World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, we remind the world of the urgency to “Act now, eliminate cervical cancer”,
Globally, WHO has set ambitious interim targets for elimination to be achieved by 2030:
· Vaccination: 90% girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.
· Screening: women of 70% screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45.
· Treatment: 90% women with pre-cancer treated, and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.
The Regional implementation framework on eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem 2021–2030. The WHO South-East Asia Regional Strategy for comprehensive cancer prevention and management. 2024–2030 have been guiding Member States and partners to advance the vision of a Region free from preventable cancer deaths.
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We have seen encouraging progress:
· Prioritizing cervical cancer elimination as one of the Health Flagship Projects Bhutan has achieved the 2030 interim targets.
· Thailand’s Cancer Anywhere program makes treatment accessible closer to where women live.
· Eight countries have introduced nationwide HPV vaccination.
· Six countries have population-based screening with varying coverage2.
Nonetheless, much more remains to done. The coverage of HPV vaccination and cervical screening are still far below the targets in most countries, and the quality of treatment needs to assured.
To address the gaps, WHO calls on Member States and partners to:
· Increase HPV vaccination coverage to more than 90% of adolescent girls. By addressing affordability and adopting single-dose regimens where applicable.
· Improve the quality and coverage of cervical screening, by integrating services in women’s reproductive health programmes. Introducing high performance tests and self-sampling while ensuring they are affordable. And linking screening programs to standard diagnostic and treatment services through strong referral systems.
· Make available adequate expertise, equipment and medicines, to ensure comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment of invasive cancer.
· Cover services across the care continuum under universal health coverage schemes.
On this first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day 2025, established after the World Health Assembly. This year adopted a resolution to eliminate cancer of the uterine cervix as a public health problem. We reaffirm the commitment of the Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience to the health of women and girls throughout South-East Asia.
Let us act now, and together, to accelerate progress, close the gaps. And build a future where no woman dies from cervical cancer and other preventable diseases.
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