KARACHI (WHO): More than 300,000 women die from cervical cancer every year. Yet, the disease can be prevented through vaccinations, regular screenings and treatment.
Cervical cancer develops in a woman’s cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina). Almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
Although most infections with HPV resolve spontaneously and cause no symptoms, persistent infection can cause cervical cancer in women. Cervical cancer is the 6th most common cancer in women in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In 2020, an estimated 89 800 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the Region and more than 47 500 women died from the disease.
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. It is a perfect opportunity for WHO and partners to raise awareness about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. This year, we are focusing on ending cervical cancer within a few generations as the theme for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
When diagnosed, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Cancers diagnosed in late stages can also be controlled with appropriate treatment and palliative care. With a comprehensive approach to prevent, screen and treat, we can end cervical cancer as a public health problem within a few generations.
On this Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the messages are clear.
Get informed. Find out the facts about cervical cancer and the human papilloma virus (HPV) that causes it. Help educate other women in your life too.
Get screened. Cervical cancer screening typically starts at age 30 and is repeated periodically.
Get vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is given in 2 doses that should begin when a girl is between 9 and 14 years old.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month also comes at a time when the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, where substantial disruptions to essential health services persist. So during this month and beyond, let us work together, to build back healthier communities by improving access to HPV vaccination, screening, treatment for cervical pre-cancer and management of cervical cancer by 2030 and end cervical cancer within a few generations.
In August 2020, the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination. The Strategy outlines a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, effective screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions, early cancer diagnosis and programmes for the management of invasive cervical cancer including palliative care.
The aim of the WHO Cervical Cancer Country Profiles is to bring out the current status of cervical cancer for each WHO Member States (194 total) curated from multiple data sources. These profiles help to establish a baseline for the country and support monitoring trends toward the achievement of the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.
The profiles include the following information:
Burden of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer incidence, cumulative risk of cervical cancer, total number of deaths and trends in deaths, and cervical cancer mortality to incidence.
Primary prevention. HPV vaccination programme coverage and programme details, related risk factors including tobacco use prevention, condom use at last high risk sex and HIV incidence.
Secondary prevention. National screening programme for cervical cancer details and cervical cancer screening rate.
Treatment and supportive care. National guidelines for cervical cancer management, cancer diagnosis and treatment service availability, availability of specialized medical staff, palliative care.
Cervical cancer country profiles for all WHO Member States, 2021
Awareness seminar on Cervical Cancer held at LINAR
LARKANA (APP): An awareness seminar on Cervical Cancer in women was held on Monday at Larkana Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Radiotherapy (LINAR) Cancer Hospital here.
In developed countries, Cervical Cancer disease has been eliminated by 70%, but in Pakistan, a large number of women are still suffering from cervical cancer.
January 2023 is being celebrated as Cervical Cancer Awareness month among women globally by the World Health Organization(WHO).
In this regard, awareness seminar was attended by the by the Director, LINAR, Proffessor Abdul Samad Sheikh, Head of Oncology Dr. Iram Naz, Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Sheikh, Dr. Abdul Khaliq Tunio, Dr. Abdul Ghani Sheikh, Dr. Akhtar Chandio, Dr. Akram Langaha, Dr. Hafeezullah Soomro, Lady doctors and nurses of Shaikh Zayed Women’s Hospital Larkana and other hospitals.
Addressing the seminar, Director LINARDr. Abdul Samad Sheikh, Prof. Iram Naz and Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Sheikh said that ovarian cancer in women is not only treatable but also preventable with proper vaccination, while in the developed countries of the world, with timely treatment and complete awareness, this disease has been eliminated by 70%.
They said that a large number of women in Pakistan are suffering from this disease and more than 5000 women are suffering from this disease every year in the country due to lack of proper awareness.
The speakers also said that to prevent this disease, girls and women between the ages of 16 and 30 should be vaccinated, while women over the age of 30 should have a pap smear test if they are suffering from this disease, so
that they can be treated well in time.
They said that many lives can be saved with timely awareness and treatment about cervical cancer, so there is a
dire need to inform women about this disease, especially in rural areas where education is almost nil, they added.
WHO/APP
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