Cervical Cancer Awareness Month: History, Objectives, and Importance

January marks the "Cervical Heath Awareness Month," a chance to raise awareness about HPV vaccination and cervical cancer. Despite its importance, most women neglect their cervical health throughout their lives. The American Social Health Association (ASHA) and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) co-sponsor this observance to raise awareness about the importance of comprehensive prevention methods, effective screening, and early detection for cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer claims to be the sixth most common cancer in women. It is estimated that one-fourth of all cases of cervical cancer in women are found in India. There are approximately 1,22,844 new instances of cervical cancer each year in the country, which results in one-third of all cancer fatalities worldwide. “These figures are alarming because unlike most other cancers, there are effective screening methods to detect women who are likely to develop cancer in the future and detect it at an early stage. This apart, we have vaccinations against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that has been identified as the causative agent in more than 99 per cent of cervical cancers,” says Dr Geeth Monnappa, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Fortis La Femme Hospital, Bengaluru.

History

Every year, the month of January is marked as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month which is represented by a teal-coloured ribbon. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, issued a worldwide call to action at the World Health Assembly in May 2018 to eradicate cervical cancer. Thus, in 2020, the World Health Organization publicly introduced the Global Strategy to speed up the complete eradication of Cervical Cancer.

Aim

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month serves as an effective platform for raising public awareness about cervical cancer, HPV disease, and the value of early detection in communities around the country. In 2023, the aim is to increase awareness of HPV (human papillomavirus), the virus responsible for all cases of cervical cancer. The goal is to get 90% of the girls to be fully vaccinated with HPV virus at the age of 15 and 90% of the women to get the cancer treated or managed.

Theme

The theme for this year is to “Get informed. Get screened. Get vaccinated.”

Get informed: Since the human papillomavirus(HPV) is responsible for most cases of the cervical cancer, it is important to educate yourself and also help other women get educated about the virus.

Get screened: Screening for cervical cancer is recommended beginning at the age of 30 and continuing it at regular intervals.

Get vaccinated: The HPV vaccine comes in two doses, which is recommended for girls starting in the age of 9 to 14.

Report

In 2020, 604,127 women were reported to have cervical cancer, and 341,831 women died from the disease worldwide. Despite being a relatively preventable cancer, these numbers are shocking. The highest incidence rate of cervical cancer was found in Asia (58.2%), while the lowest was found in Northern America (2.5%). Nearly 2.8 billion women worldwide are at risk for developing cervical cancer, with roughly 80% of those living in less developed areas. The age-standardized incidence and death rates are 13.1 and 6.9 per 100,000 women, respectively.  Yet, as compared to global estimates, these rates are significantly higher for Indian women. Among Indian women, the incidence rate is 14.7% per 100,000 and the mortality rate is 9.2% per 100,000.

Importance

To spread awareness about the cervical cancer and to educate women on it, the cervical cancer awareness month is considered important and has been observed in January each year. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and each year thousands of lives could be saved if more people knew the warning signs and symptoms and get the effective treatment at the early stage itself.

With proper diagnosis and treatment, cervical cancer has a high survival rate compared to other cancers. Also, with the right treatment and palliative care, even late-stage cancers can be managed. Cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem within a generation if proper measures are taken to prevent, screen, and treat the disease. You may book an appointment and consult a gynaecologist to get the proper diagnosis.