‘WHO commits to eliminate cervical cancer globally’

Published: 23rd Nov, 2020

In a first, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) launched the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.

Context

In a first, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) launched the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.

About

Cervical cancer develops in a woman's cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina).
Almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
Although most infections with HPV resolve spontaneously and cause no symptoms, persistent infection can cause cervical cancer in women.
Effective primary (HPV vaccination) and secondary prevention approaches (screening for, and treating precancerous lesions) will prevent most cervical cancer cases.
When diagnosed, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.
Cancers diagnosed in late stages can also be controlled with appropriate treatment and palliative care.
With a comprehensive approach to prevent, screen and treat, cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem within a generation.

Cervical Cancer Types

There’s more than one kind of cervical cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma: This forms in the lining of your cervix. It’s found in up to 90% of cases.
Adenocarcinoma:This forms in the cells that produce mucus.
Mixed carcinoma:This has features of the two other types.

The numbers

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women.
The annual number of new cases of cervical cancer are expected to increase to 700,000 from 570,000 between 2018 and 2030.
The annual number of deaths is projected to rise to 400,000 from 311,000.

Key-highlights of the Programme

The programme aims to complete the following targets by 2030 globally:
- 90 per cent girls fully vaccinated with the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine by 15 years of age
- 70 per cent women screened using a high-performance test by 35 years and again by 45 years
- 90 per cent of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90 per cent of women with pre-cancer treated and 90 per cent of women with invasive cancer managed).
Another highlight of the strategy is to stress on investing in interventions to meet these targets that can generate substantial economic and societal returns.
WHO estimates that $ 3.20 will be returned to the economy for every dollar invested through 2050 and beyond if women’s workforce participation increased.

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