Cervical cancer affects over half a million women each year and kills a quarter of a million.

One woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes, making it one of the greatest threats to women’s health. Most of these women are not diagnosed early enough and lack access to life-saving treatment. According to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “If we don’t act, deaths from cervical cancer will rise by almost 50 per cent by 2030.”

Cervical cancer strikes women in the prime of life. These women are raising children, caring for their families and contributing to the social and economic fabric of their communities. Nine in 10 women who die from cervical cancer are in poor countries. This means some of the most vulnerable women in our world are dying unnecessarily. That cannot be fair or just.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Prevention and early treatment are also highly cost-effective. HPV vaccines are truly wonderful inventions.

The fact that the research that led to the development of vaccines against HPV won a Nobel Prize speaks for itself. “Our challenge is to ensure that all girls globally are vaccinated against HPV and that every woman over 30 is screened and treated for pre-cancerous lesions. To achieve that, we need innovative technologies and strategies,” the WHO Director-General said.

“We must improve access to diagnosis and treatment of invasive cancers at their earliest stages, and ensure the availability of palliative care for women who need it,” he said. All of these services must be embedded in strong health systems aimed at delivering universal health coverage. High-income countries have shown the way. In many of these countries, cervical cancer is becoming a thing of the past. Now is the time for global elimination, Dr Tedros said.