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Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: 4 Things to Know

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Learn more about Crystal Cazier.
Crystal Cazier
Former Deputy Director, Global Health
George W. Bush Institute

Data from 2012 indicates there are approximately 528,000 new cases of cervical cancer every year, and for every two new cases of cervical cancer, at least one woman succumbs to the disease – an estimated 266,000 women die of cervical cancer annually.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.  Data from 2012 indicates there are approximately 528,000 new cases of cervical cancer every year, and for every two new cases of cervical cancer, at least one woman succumbs to the disease – an estimated 266,000 women die of cervical cancer annually.  During Cervical Cancer Awareness month, here are some important things to know about cervical cancer and how the world is responding.

Low and Middle Income Countries Bear the Burden of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer disproportionately affects women in low and middle income countries (LMICs).  More than 80 percent of cervical cancer cases occur in low-resource settings.  The burden is particularly stark in LMICs where cervical cancer affects women during the prime of their lives.  Women are at the center of society as primary caregivers for children, engaged community leaders, and contributors to economic growth and prosperity.  When the burden of cervical cancer falls most heavily on marginalized women, the ability for communities and economies to grow is limited.

Cervical Cancer is Preventable and Treatable

The good news is cervical cancer is preventable and treatable with cost-effective, simple solutions.  Most cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexual transmitted disease.  Vaccinating girls against HPV before sexual debut significantly reduces her chance of developing cervical cancer as an adult.

Using just a few drops of household vinegar, cervical cancer can be detected in pre-cancerous stages.  Through an approach called “see-and-treat,” applying vinegar to a woman’s cervix illuminates pre-cancerous lesions which can be removed with a same day procedure.  “See-and-treat” costs as little as $25 per woman, but can save her life.

Further, new screening and treatment technologies are being tested that show promise for making the detection and prevention of cervical cancer with even more cost-effective and adaptable in low-resource settings.

The World Has Started to Pay Attention

Mrs. Laura Bush has said, “The success of PEPFAR encouraged us to take on our next challenge: women’s cancers.”  The success of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has resulted in millions of lives saved from HIV/AIDS.  But, women living with HIV/AIDS remain four to five times more likely to develop cervical cancer. 

To reverse this reality, President and Mrs. Bush built on the success of PEPFAR and in 2011, launched Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, an affiliate of the George W. Bush Institute, as a public-private partnership to fight women’s cancers.  Through the work and advocacy Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon and their partner organizations, global attention is beginning to more acutely focus on the burden of cervical cancer, especially in LMICs.

On World Cancer Day 2016, observed each year on February 4, then-United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, addressed the world with a call to “eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue.”  Acting on this directive, seven UN agencies formed a Joint Global Programme on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control