Early cervical cancer diagnosis could save lives of over 300,000 women: WHO

UNITED NATIONS: In a statement on World Cancer Day, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has  said that nine out of ten women who die from cervical cancer are from poor countries, and that if no action is taken, deaths from the disease will rise by almost 50 per cent by 2040.

The disease  kills more than 300,000 women  worldwide every year, with one woman diagnosed every minute, despite the fact that it is one of the most preventable and curable forms of the disease, UN health agency stated on Monday.

The WHO points out that new diagnoses can be reduced by ensuring that all 9-14 year old girls globally are vaccinated against Human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that are extremely common worldwide, two types of which cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

Women  have limited access to preventative measures in developing countries,  and cervical cancer is often not identified until it has reached an advanced stage. while access to treatment of late-stage cervical cancer – such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy – is also very limited, resulting in higher death rates in these countries.

WHO says that innovative technologies and strategies, access to diagnosis and early-stage treatment of invasive cancers are needed to to eliminate the disease.

With the aim of eliminating cervical cancer, many countries have already joined forces under the UN Joint Global Programme on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, a five-year programme to provide global leadership and technical assistance to governments and their partners as they build national cervical cancer control programmes.