Eliminating Cervical Cancer Is A Global Health Equity Challenge

Cervical cancer should no longer be killing women. It is one of the few cancers that we already know how to prevent, detect early, and treat effectively. 

Yet it remains the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, causing around 600,000 new cases and 340,000 deaths each year. 

The tragedy is not just the scale of the disease—it is the inequality behind it. Women in lower-income countries are three times more likely to develop cervical cancer and six times more likely to die from it than those in wealthy countries. 

In other words, cervical cancer is not just a medical problem. It is a stark symbol of global health inequity.

But there is also good news. Unlike most cancers, cervical cancer can be eliminated. The tools already exist: HPV vaccines and screening tests, and effective treatment. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has given us a roadmap with clear goals.  What we lack is not science or plans, but global resolve. 

History shows what is possible when the world acts together. For centuries, smallpox killed hundreds of millions of people. 

In 1958, the World Health Assembly called for its eradication. Countries collaborated—even at the height of the Cold War—sharing vaccines and resources. Two decades later, in 1980, smallpox became the first disease ever eradicated by humanity.  

That moment should inspire us today. If the world can eliminate one of the deadliest infectious diseases in history, we can surely eliminate a cancer that we already know how to prevent. The encouraging progress made towards eliminating other diseases – such as polio and HIV transmission from mothers to their children – also provides hope and lessons for cervical cancer.

The path is clear

In 2020, WHO member states adopted a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, setting clear milestones known as the 90-70-90 targets for 2030:

• 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV by age 15
• 70% of women screened by age 35 and again by 45
• 90% of women with cervical disease treated.

These targets are ambitious, but achieving them is a key step on the path to elimination, which is defined as an incidence threshold of less than four cases per 100,000 women per year. 

Some wealthy countries are well advanced: Sweden aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. Australia may do so by 2035. Canada and several European countries hope to achieve elimination by 2040. 

Lower-income countries should also be ambitious, and many could realistically eliminate cervical cancer by 2050 with the right tools and support. Rwanda, for example, has already achieved vaccination coverage close to 98%, while a recent campaign in Malawi targeting schoolgirls and adolescents extended vaccine coverage above 90%, proving that elimination is not a dream—it is a clear policy choice.   

Four actions that can save millions of lives

Countries do not need complex new technologies to make significant progress. The basic strategy is straightforward, using proven approaches that:

1. Educate and mobilize the public: Awareness about HPV, vaccination, and screening remains uneven. Communities must understand that cervical cancer is preventable.
2. Expand innovative screening: HPV tests—including molecular assays on self-collected vaginal or urine samples—can detect high-risk HPV early, well before cancer develops.
3. Vaccinate girls—and boys too: HPV vaccination is one of the most powerful cancer-prevention tools ever developed, offering protection not just against cervical cancer, but anal, penile and throat cancers, as well. 
4. Ensure treatment is available: Women who develop cervical disease must have access to surgery, medicines, and radiotherapy. Pre-cancerous lesions detected early can often be treated through simple procedures in primary care settings.

The equity gap

The greatest obstacle is not knowledge – it is inequality. More than 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Many governments cannot fully afford large-scale vaccination programs or nationwide screening. This is why cervical cancer elimination must become a financing priority.

When the world confronted HIV in the early 2000s, international partnerships, donor funds, and global activism transformed the response. Today, millions of people are living longer because of that mobilization. 

Cervical cancer deserves the same sense of urgency and commitment, recognizing that the current global context demands a different approach—one that builds on country leadership and existing services to reach people where they are, in their own communities.

Addressing the equity gap also means that we must continue to fight for the rights of women and girls to education, autonomy and freedom from poverty – conditions that often determine whether health care is within reach.  And it means ensuring that vaccines are developed to address the HPV35 genotype that is increasingly contributing to the burden of cervical cancer in Africa and among women with HIV.

See related story: 

https://healthpolicy-watch.news/eliminate-cervical-cancer-by-2050-with-accelerated-hpv-vaccination-screening-and-treatment/

Building a global movement

Momentum is growing. In November 2025, the world marked the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, and several countries now hold awareness campaigns throughout January. 

In Geneva, we are working to mobilize the diplomatic community and governments on this issue as part of the broader right to health. These initiatives must grow into a true global movement – one that engages communities, strengthens political will, and holds governments accountable for progress. Another lesson from HIV/AIDS is clear: when societies mobilize, transformation follows.

Historic opportunity

If humanity eliminates cervical cancer, it will mark the first time we have ended a cancer as a public health threat. The implications would be profound, giving hope that other cancers can also be prevented or eliminated through advances in science, North-South and South-South cooperation, community empowerment, and political commitment.

The window for action is open, and the tools are at hand. Further delay will cost millions of lives. We cannot allow current pressure on health and development budgets to prevent us from doing what is right – ending cervical cancer as a disease of inequality and neglect.  Instead, let’s commit the resources, mobilize the partnerships, and finish the work. 

news/eliminating-cervical-cancer-is-a-global-health-equity-challenge/amb-caroline/” data-orig-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline.jpeg?fit=748%2C1328&ssl=1″ data-orig-size=”748,1328″ data-comments-opened=”0″ data-image-meta=”{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}” data-image-title=”Caroline Bwanali-Mussa” data-image-description=”” data-image-caption=”<p>Caroline Bwanali-Mussa</p> ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline.jpeg?fit=169%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline.jpeg?fit=577%2C1024&ssl=1″ class=” wp-image-133387″ alt=”” width=”120″ height=”213″ srcset=”https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline-577×1024.jpeg 577w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline-169×300.jpeg 169w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Caroline.jpeg 748w” sizes=”(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px”/>

Caroline Bwanali-Mussa is the Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations in Geneva and Ambassador of Malawi to Switzerland. 

news/eliminating-cervical-cancer-is-a-global-health-equity-challenge/dr-haile/” data-orig-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dr.-Haile.webp?fit=640%2C539&ssl=1″ data-orig-size=”640,539″ data-comments-opened=”0″ data-image-meta=”{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}” data-image-title=”Haileyesus Getahun” data-image-description=”” data-image-caption=”<p>Dr Haileyesus Getahun</p> ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dr.-Haile.webp?fit=300%2C253&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dr.-Haile.webp?fit=640%2C539&ssl=1″ class=” wp-image-133385″ alt=”” width=”150″ height=”126″ srcset=”https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dr.-Haile.webp 640w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Dr.-Haile-300×253.webp 300w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px”/>

Dr Haileyesus Getahun is Chief Executive Officer of the Global Centre for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion, based in Geneva. 

news/eliminating-cervical-cancer-is-a-global-health-equity-challenge/amb-antje-1/” data-orig-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1.png?fit=819%2C751&ssl=1″ data-orig-size=”819,751″ data-comments-opened=”0″ data-image-meta=”{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}” data-image-title=”Antje Leenderste” data-image-description=”” data-image-caption=”<p>Antje Leenderste</p> ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1.png?fit=300%2C275&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1.png?fit=640%2C587&ssl=1″ class=” wp-image-133386″ alt=”” width=”150″ height=”138″ srcset=”https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1.png 819w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1-300×275.png 300w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Amb-Antje-1-768×704.png 768w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px”/>

Antje Leenderste is the Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva. 

news/eliminating-the-period-tax-on-feminine-hygiene-products-galvanizes-new-battle-for-freedom-and-dignity/attachment/1000027419/” data-orig-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419.jpg?fit=608%2C607&ssl=1″ data-orig-size=”608,607″ data-comments-opened=”0″ data-image-meta=”{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}” data-image-title=”1000027419″ data-image-description=”” data-image-caption=”<p>Ambassador Leslie Ramsammy</p> ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419.jpg?fit=608%2C607&ssl=1″ class=” wp-image-130008″ alt=”” width=”165″ height=”165″ srcset=”https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419.jpg 608w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419-300×300.jpg 300w, https://healthpolicy-watch.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1000027419-150×150.jpg 150w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 165px) 100vw, 165px”/>

Dr Leslie Ramsammy is the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in Geneva.

Image Credits: Gavi, UNICEF, CeHDI.