Preventable cervical cancer kills a woman every two minutes: UN

One woman worldwide dies every two minutes due to cervical cancer — a treatable and preventable disease — said the UN on Monday on the first official World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day. The day — November 17 — was designated by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78.8) to raise awareness of the disease, and to expand access to HPV vaccination, high-performance screening, and treatment services. “Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer. Access to screening, vaccination, and treatment is key to ending this preventable disease,” the UN shared in a post on the social media platform X. “Cervical cancer can be prevented. In addition to vaccination, regular screening of women and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions protect from cancer,” added the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with around 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths in 2022. Notably, nine in 10 of these deaths occur in the poorest countries, with inadequate access to vaccination, screening, and treatment. Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV. However, cervical cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly.