The fight to eliminate cervical cancer, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• In 2008, Professor Harald zur Hausen won the Nobel Prize for discovering that HPV causes cervical cancer.
• The WHO launched a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer on November 17, 2020, endorsed by 194 countries including India.
• Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, with approximately one lakh new cases every year.
• The National HPV Vaccination Campaign was launched on February 28, 2026, aiming for a cervical cancer-free future.

Detailed Insights:

• Cervical cancer often leads to extreme physical, emotional, and financial difficulties, with women diagnosed at stage 4 potentially developing severe complications.
• Regular Pap smear screenings, introduced in the West in the 1940s, effectively detect both cancer and precancerous stages, significantly reducing the risk.
• HPV vaccines offer nearly complete protection against the most virulent strains, with countries like Australia and the U.K. witnessing significant reductions in pre-cancer and cancer after introducing the vaccine.
• The WHO aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence to four per 100,000 by 2030, requiring 90% HPV vaccination for girls under 15, 70% screening for women at 35 and 45, and 90% treatment for detected lesions.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV): A common virus with high-risk strains that can cause cervical cancer.
• Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN): A precancerous phase of cervical cancer lasting 10-15 years, detectable via microscopic examination.
• Pap Smear: A screening procedure involving microscopic examination of cells collected from the cervix to detect cancerous or precancerous changes.

Cervical cancer