The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. This strategy aims to reduce the burden of cervical cancer worldwide and prevent unnecessary deaths from this disease. Here are the key points of the global strategy:
The strategy envisions a world where cervical cancer is eliminated as a public health problem.
The strategy sets a threshold of 4 cases per 100,000 women-years for elimination as a public health problem.
The strategy sets three targets that countries should meet by 2030 to be on the path towards cervical cancer elimination:
90% of girls should be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.
70% of women should be screened with a high-performance test by the ages of 35 and 45.
90% of women identified with cervical disease should receive treatment, including 90% of women with precancerous lesions and 90% of women with invasive cancer.
By achieving the 90-70-90 targets by 2030 in low- and lower-middle-income countries, the strategy predicts significant benefits:
The median cervical cancer incidence rate will fall by 42% by 2045 and by 97% by 2120, averting more than 74 million new cases of cervical cancer.
The median cumulative number of cervical cancer deaths averted will be 300,000 by 2030, over 14 million by 2070, and over 62 million by 2120.
The strategy emphasizes the importance of primary prevention through HPV vaccination and secondary prevention through screening and treatment of precancerous lesions. It also highlights the need for political will and collaboration between governments, healthcare providers, and communities to achieve the elimination of cervical cancer.