On Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, 17 November, Unitaid reaffirms its commitment to a future where cervical cancer is no longer a leading killer of women. Every year, more than 350,000 women lose their lives to this disease, with 94% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Tragically, women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer, underscoring the need for equitable access to prevention, screening, and treatment.
Cervical cancer is both preventable and treatable when detected early, yet countless women continue to face barriers to lifesaving care due to the cost and availability of essential tools. At Unitaid, we are working to change this reality by investing in innovative, accessible, and affordable solutions. Our efforts have already reached more than 1.5 million women with transformative technologies, including HPV testing and self collection to expand services and increase uptake, handheld thermal ablation devices to remove precancerous lesions, and scalable screen-and-treat programs tailored for resource-limited settings.
This year, Unitaid launched its latest “Cervical cancer technology landscape report” at the World Cancer Congress, providing a comprehensive overview of existing and emerging tools for secondary prevention of cervical cancer. The report highlights groundbreaking advancements such as AI-powered screening and contextualizes their use in low-resource settings, emphasizing their potential to close critical gaps in detection and treatment.
Thanks to Unitaid’s market-shaping efforts, the costs of HPV tests and thermal ablation devices have been reduced by 40% and 45%, respectively,helping expand access for women in low- and middle-income countries.
Sally Agallo Kwenda, a cervical cancer survivor, reminds us of the human impact of this disease: “Being told that I had cervical cancer and that I would lose my womb, and that meant I was never going to have children again, was devastating.”
Her story is a powerful call to action to ensure that no woman has to endure such heartbreak when effective tools and strategies are available.
With the support of women like Sally, governments, health partners, and donors, we can make this vision a reality. Together, we can end cervical cancer in our lifetime.
