Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 17: On the first official World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, the UN highlighted that a woman dies every two minutes from cervical cancer, a largely preventable and treatable disease. Observed on November 17, the day was designated by the 78th World Health Assembly to raise awareness and expand access to HPV vaccination, effective screening, and treatment services.

“Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer. Access to screening, vaccination, and treatment is key to ending this preventable disease,” the UN said. The World Health Organization (WHO) added that regular screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions, alongside vaccination, can protect women from cervical cancer.

Globally, cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer in women, with roughly 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths reported in 2022. Alarmingly, nine in ten deaths occur in the world’s poorest countries due to limited access to vaccination, screening, and treatment.

Persistent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and women living with HIV face a sixfold higher risk. Early detection and timely treatment make the disease highly curable, while prophylactic HPV vaccination and pre-cancer lesion management are highly effective and cost-efficient prevention strategies.

The 2025 theme, “Act Now: Eliminate Cervical Cancer”, urges accelerated global action toward the WHO’s 90-70-90 targets for 2030: vaccinate 90% of girls against HPV by age 15, screen 70% of women with high-performance tests by ages 35 and 45, and treat 90% of women with cervical disease.

WHO emphasized that elimination is achievable if the international community ensures every girl is vaccinated and every woman has access to prevention, screening, and care.