IT IS unfortunate and alarming to know that more than 300,000 women die each year due to cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is one of the greatest threats to women’s health, says the World Health Organization (WHO), where one woman is diagnosed every minute.
“Each death is a tragedy, and we can prevent it,” WHO pointed out.
Most of these women are not diagnosed early enough, and lack access to life-saving treatment.
Studies show that prevention and early treatment of cervical cancer are also highly cost-effective.
It also shows that nine in 10 women who die from cervical cancer are in poor countries.
This means some of the most vulnerable women in the world are dying unnecessarily.
This is not fair or just, says the WHO.
Rising cervical cancer deaths is undermining health gains for women made in maternal health and HIV care.
Current disparity in survival from cervical cancer, which varies between 33 percent and 77 percent, is unacceptable and can be minimized.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and curable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.
As a backgrounder, the cervix is the lower part of the uterus in the human female reproductive system.
The opening into the uterus is called the internal os, and the opening into the vagina is called the external os.
WHO also says that we can reduce new diagnoses in two ways, HPV vaccination and screening of the cervix with follow on treatment of early changes before cancer appears.
Deaths due to cervical cancer can also be prevented through early detection and prompt treatment of cancers found.
Currently, most women diagnosed with cervical cancer are diagnosed with advanced cancers – the opportunity for cure is small.
This is compounded by lack of access to life-saving treatment in settings where the burden and need is at the highest.
“We must accelerate progress. We must ensure that all girls globally are vaccinated against HPV and that every woman over 30 is screened and treated for pre-cancerous lesions,” WHO stressed.
In order to achieve that, we need innovative technologies and strategies.
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.
All of these services must be embedded in strong health systems aimed at delivering universal health coverage.
It can be noted that in some high-income countries, they have already laid out plans and measures to address the concern.
In many of these countries, cervical cancer is becoming a thing of the past.
Urgent action is needed to scale up implementation of proven cost-effective measures towards the elimination of cervical cancer as a global public health problem.
These actions include vaccination against human papillomavirus, screening and treatment of pre-cancer, early detection and prompt treatment of early invasive cancers and palliative care.
However, this requires a strong political commitment and greater international cooperation and support for equitable access, including strategies for resource mobilization. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
