By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The World Health Organisation (WHO), has outlined global strategies to accelerate the elimination Cervical Cancer.
WHO, during the launch yesterday said the key steps included: vaccination, screening and treatment.
It said successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050.
“Today’s development represents a historic milestone because it marks the first time that 194 countries commit to eliminating cancer – following adoption of a resolution at this year’s World Health Assembly. Meeting the following targets by 2030 will place all countries on the path toward elimination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age. 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 45. 90% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed).”
WHO said the strategy also stressed that investing in the interventions to meet these targets can generate substantial economic and societal returns.
“An estimated US$ 3.20 will be returned to the economy for every dollar invested through 2050 and beyond, owing to increases in women’s workforce participation. The figure rises to US$ 26.00 when the benefits of women’s improved health on families, communities and societies are considered.”
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make that dream a reality. But we can only eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem if we match the power of the tools we have with unrelenting determination to scale up their use globally.”
