Saving lives through cervical cancer prevention

In many parts of the world, strides are being made toward our shared goal of eliminating cervical cancer.

In the U.S. for example, between 2008 and 2022, the incidence of cervical precancer decreased nearly 80 percent among screened women ages 20-24.1 Vaccination against human papillomavirus, along with regular HPV screening and treatment of precancerous lesions, have shown to be effective strategies in preventing cervical cancer.2 

But not everyone has access to these innovations, and the highest rates ofincidence and mortality continue in low- and middle-income countries.3 As a result, more than 350,000 women die each year from cervical cancer,3 which is caused by persistent HPV infection.3 

Only by working together to expand access to innovations that include HPV vaccination, screening and treatment can we reach the World Health Organization (WHO)4 Read more about the WHO’s recentthat have the power to expand screening to patients in countries with the greatest need.

About 94 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries,5 where many women have never been screened. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest cervical cancer burden globally,6 says Dr. Allan Pamba, Executive Vice President Africa for Roche Diagnostics, who lives in Kenya. 

The HIV epidemic, with its epicentre in sub-Saharan Africa, makes the women’s health crisis even more challenging. Women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer than women without HIV.5 

“An entire family system collapses, and indeed many of these children suffer enhanced exposure to malaria, tuberculosis, pneumonia or even malnutrition because the mother is not there,” says Allan, who served as a physician in rural communities in East Africa.

Healthcare agencies, policymakers, patient advocacy organisations, industry and funding institutions must work together to expand access to HPV screening, Allan says.

To help reach this goal, partnerships in healthcare settings are expanding access to cervical screening throughwhere patients can obtain their own vaginal samples. HPV self-collection can help reduce the challenges women in more rural communities face, based on a lack of transportation or means.  It can also increase comfort for women and put the power of prevention into patients’ hands. 

Patient advocacy organization Lazo Rosado Perú is an important partner in the success of the cervical cancer elimination programs in that country. 

“When a woman is the head of the family, the impact of cervical cancer can erode the family’s foundation,” said Susana Wong, general director of the organization and a breast cancer survivor.

“Now with vaccination and the HPV molecular-based screening, we can help eliminate cervical cancer. And HPV self-collection can help women and communities take control. Self-collection is the opportunity for life,” she said.

Joanna Sickler, Global Health Policy Lead at Roche Diagnostics, advocates with global governments to increase national cervical cancer screening programs. She encourages countries around the world to develop programs to enable cervical cancer elimination through a three-pronged approach: vaccinating to prevent HPV, screening and linking people diagnosed with HPV and cervical cancer to treatment.

“I’ve found that populations in hard-to-reach and low-income settings face similar challenges, whether we’re talking about people in the Amazon, Kenya or a rural part of the United States,” Joanna says. “For screening, there’s an infrastructure required for a traditional physician-collected sample: a building, a room, a table, test strips — things that just don’t exist in a lot of places. Traditional screening also presents cultural and social barriers. But self-collection can help overcome these barriers.”

A 2024commissioned by Roche across 12 countries in Latin America and Europe showed that over 70% of respondents expressed a willingness to collect their own samples if given the option. 

And in Australia,has led to increases in the proportion of women ages 35-39 who had at least one HPV test, even in remote and disadvantaged areas.7

Stefan Seliger, Head of Global Access and Policy at Roche Diagnostics, says the societal cost of cervical cancer is far greater than the cost of prevention programs, like those in Peru. Since 2021, the Roche partnership with Peru’s Ministry of Health has screened as many as half a million women who otherwise may not have had access to cervical self-collection and HPV testing. Learn more about Through partnerships, Roche collaborates with governments, healthcare providers, international organisations and communities to remove access barriers and work towards ensuring women everywhere benefit from equitable access to healthcare.

“Equitable access to essential service and prevention programs is critical to eliminate preventable diseases like cervical cancer,” Stefan says. “It is our responsibility to work together to create opportunities for prevention and ensure continuous investments in screening programmes that reach women where they are, effectively driving a positive impact on health systems and the people they serve.”