Nations around the world are marking the inaugural World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, a new annual observance mandated by the World Health Assembly to champion global efforts to defeat a preventable disease. The day signals a major milestone in the push to eradicate cervical cancer, as governments and partners intensify vaccination drives, widen access to screening, and scale up treatment services.
The commemoration highlights the urgency of tackling cervical cancer, which is currently the fourth most common cancer among women, claiming more than 350,000 lives every year. Health leaders stress that the tools to end the disease already exist, and the Day aligns closely with the WHO’s global elimination strategy: vaccinating 90% of girls against HPV, screening 70% of women, and treating 90% of those diagnosed with pre-cancer and invasive cancer. The initiative also serves as a platform for mobilising investment, strengthening advocacy, and pushing forward service delivery so women and girls can access essential care.
“In 2018, I was proud to launch the global call to action on cervical cancer elimination, and I’m even prouder now to see what was once a distant dream becoming a reality,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “More and more countries are scaling up HPV vaccination, improving screening, and expanding treatment, bringing us closer to a future free of cervical cancer.”
Momentum has grown further with the announcement from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and its partners, confirming that their target of reaching 86 million girls with HPV vaccination by the end of 2025 has been achieved. This milestone reflects a wider surge in national initiatives aimed at strengthening elimination strategies and broadening access to screening and treatment.
Across the world, governments are marking the Day with campaigns, community events, and policy commitments. Sierra Leone and Liberia are rolling out major vaccination drives targeting more than 1.5 million girls, while Sierra Leone is also preparing a mass screening campaign across all 16 districts, followed by an awareness walk. In Malaysia, survivors are taking the lead in a week-long effort to promote self-sampling HPV testing, a key development that can improve access to screening.
A series of developments over the past year has provided a strong foundation for the new global observance. Countries across all regions are accelerating their efforts in HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment, in line with the 90-70-90 targets set out in the WHO Global Strategy. With growing political commitment, expanding programmes, and increased multi-sector partnerships, leaders say the goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat is closer than ever.
