Inequitable access to vaccines and high-performance screening tools accounts for the highest rates of new cases and deaths due to cervical cancer in the African region

MedEdge MEA shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Inequitable access to vaccines and high-performance screening tools is hampering efforts to effectively reduce the growing burden of cervical cancer in the African region, which accounts for the highest rates of new cases and deaths due to the disease.

Despite being preventable and treatable through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening, and curable when detected early, cervical cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the African region. Of the more than 76 000 cervical cancer deaths globally in 2022, the most updated data available, nearly a quarter (23%) were in Africa.

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‘The burden of cervical cancer in Africa is a stark illustration of the impacts of global inequities, which exacerbate barriers including scarce resources, lack of prioritization by funders, and ultimately, limited capacity to manage the threat. Affordable and accessible HPV tests and vaccines are critical if we are to accelerate elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in the region, and narrow the wide gap in health inequality globally,’ said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa.”

Source MedEdge MEA/LinkedIn