On the first official World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, the UN announced on Monday that cervical cancer, a treatable and preventable disease, kills one woman worldwide every two minutes.

The Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78.8) set November 17 as a day to increase public awareness of the illness and to increase access to high-performance screening, treatment, and HPV vaccine.

Cervical cancer claims a woman’s life every two minutes. The UN stated in a post on the social media site X that “access to screening, vaccination, and treatment is key to ending this preventable disease.”

It is possible to avoid cervical cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that in addition to immunization, routine screening of women and treatment of precancerous lesions prevent cancer.

With over 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths in 2022, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy among women worldwide, according to the WHO.

Remarkably, nine out of ten of these fatalities take place in the world’s poorest nations, where access to immunization, screening, and treatment is insufficient.

Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the cause of cervical cancer. Compared to women without HIV, women living with HIV have a six-fold increased risk of developing cervical cancer.

However, if detected early and treated quickly, cervical cancer can be cured.

Preventive HPV vaccination as well as screening for and treating precancerous lesions are highly economical methods of preventing cervical cancer.

“Act Now: Eliminate Cervical Cancer” is this year’s theme. To build on current gains and accelerate effect toward the 90-70-90 targets by 2030, it asks for audacious, coordinated action.

The goals are to cure 90% of women with cervical illness, screen 70% of women with a high-performance test by age 35 and again at age 45, and vaccine 90% of girls against HPV by age 15.

If we work together to ensure that every girl is protected by HPV vaccination and that every woman has access to prevention, screening, and care, we can achieve elimination,” the WHO stated.