17 November 2020 – For the first time in history, the world is joining hands to eliminate a cancer! Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. In 2018, an estimated 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 311,000 women died from the disease. In Sri Lanka, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women. If detected early and managed effectively, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer. The elimination of cervical cancer is within the reach of all countries. The moment has arrived for an ambitious, concerted and inclusive strategy to accelerate eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem once and for all.
In August 2020, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution (WHA73.2) calling for the elimination of cervical cancer and adopting a strategic plan to make this commitment a reality. The fact that this issue was highlighted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to the enthusiasm for this vital global goal. On the 17th of November 2020, following the close of the 73rd World Health Assembly, WHO marked this historic announcement and officially launched the elimination strategy.
Sri Lanka demonstrated our commitment to ending cervical cancer through the dissemination of awareness posts online and the lighting of an important monument (Town Hall, Colombo) in the color teal, the color of cervical cancer awareness. The relevance and importance of the global strategy was underscored when both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa shared images of the teal town hall on social media.
Cervical cancer is a preventable and curable disease. The following 90–70–90 targets need to be met by 2030 for countries to be on the path towards cervical cancer elimination.
- 90% of girls are fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15.
- 70% of women are screened with a high-performance test by age 35, and again by age 45.
- 90% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with pre-cancer treated; 90% of women with invasive cancer managed).
As Dr Tedros, Director-General of the World Health Organization, stated “we can all leave behind a great legacy if we seize the opportunities that are within our reach now, so that girls who are born today will live to see a world free of this disease.”
