Blog Posts

Sofiat Akinola: Addressing Global Gaps in Cervical Cancer Screening

roche.com

Aug 24, 2025, 13:37

Sofiat Akinola: Addressing Global Gaps in Cervical Cancer Screening

Sofiat Akinola, Director of Health Policy and External Affairs at Roche, shared a post on LinkedIn by Rebecca Ewald, Vice President, Lifecycle Leader, Oncology Assays at Roche, adding:

“Cervical screening is critical to eliminating cervical cancer, yet based on the most recent global estimates, only 36% of women globally have been screened at least once. This falls far short of the WHO target of 70% screening coverage of women twice in their lifetime at ages 35 and 45 with a high-performance test, and the disparities between and within countries remain stark.

In a new piece, my colleague Rebecca Ewald deconstructs the socioeconomic, cultural, structural, and individual barriers that keep too many from accessing screening and shares examples of innovations like self-collection, mobile clinics, and community-led outreach that are helping to bridge the gap.

These solutions demonstrate that progress is possible when political commitment, community trust, and smart investment in patient-centered approaches come together.”

Quoting Rebecca Ewald’s post:

“I’m incredibly passionate about improving women’s health, and specifically, about the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer. That’s why I’m excited to share a new thought leadership piece titled ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.’

In this article, we delve into the multifaceted challenges preventing women from accessing vital cervical cancer screening – from patient-level concerns like embarrassment and fear, to broader systemic issues. More importantly, we highlight the pivotal role that OB/GYNs and primary care physicians play in overcoming these obstacles.

We also explore how solutions like HPV self-collection are not just theoretical, but are already proving to be game-changers in increasing screening rates and empowering women globally.

I truly hope this piece sparks further conversation and action among my network, especially those of you in healthcare, public health, and diagnostics. Let’s continue to work together to ensure more women receive the preventive care they need.

Read the full story here and join the discussion.”

More posts featuring Sofiat Akinola.