Rapid Fire
Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum
- 07 Mar 2024
- 2 min read
The first ever Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum (GCF) in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, secured nearly USD 600 million in funding from the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF.
- The funds will be utilised to enhance global access to vaccination, screening and treatment for cervical cancer.
- The Forum aims to catalyse governments, donors, civil society, and others to commit to cervical cancer elimination and galvanize the global community.
- Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cervix, which is the lower end of the uterus that connects it to the vagina. It's caused by a long-lasting (human papillomavirus) HPV infection, which is a common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
- Cervical cancer is ranked as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women globally.
- Despite available tools for prevention and elimination, it claims a woman's life every 2 minutes globally, with over 90% of cervical cancer deaths in 2022 occurring in low- and middle-income nations.
- WHO's Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination, launched in November 2020, targets, by 2030:
- 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV by age 15
- 70% of women screened with a high-performance test by ages 35 and 45
- 90% of women with cervical disease receive treatment.
- Indian Government intends to initiate a three-phase vaccination drive against human papillomavirus (HPV) for girls aged 9-14, aiming to mitigate the risk of cervical cancer.
Read more: Expanding Cervical Cancer Prevention Initiatives, HPV Vaccine for Cervical Cancer
