Message from the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi
On this World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, we celebrate the remarkable progress being made across the African continent toward a future free from cervical cancer. It is also a moment to renew our collective commitment to ensuring that no woman dies from a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Africa. Yet, it is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. With the tools currently available—HPV vaccination, routine screening, and timely treatment—elimination is now within sight. Our greatest challenge is ensuring that these tools reach every girl and every woman, no matter where they live.
Momentum continues to build across the WHO African Region.
Thirty-two member states have now introduced the HPV vaccine into their national immunisation programmes, reaching nearly half of all eligible girls. Several more countries adopted the vaccine this year, and at least eight additional countries are expected to do so by 2026. Each new introduction represents protection—not only from a virus, but from loss, suffering, and lives cut short.
Through the Women’s Integrated Cancer Services (WICS) initiative, WHO is supporting countries to integrate cervical and breast cancer screening into primary health care. This accessible, continuous, women-centered approach strengthens prevention, early detection, and treatment across the entire continuum of care. Presented to ministers of health during the seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, WICS offers a practical and scalable model for advancing women’s health across the region.
These achievements have been made possible through strong partnerships. In collaboration with other UN agencies—including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer—WHO is supporting comprehensive national cancer control assessments with a strong focus on cervical cancer.
With generous contributions from partners such as the Government of Spain, WHO is also helping countries build technological and human resource capacity: updating national cancer control plans, training health workers, and providing essential equipment for the treatment of pre-cancerous lesions.
But progress does not yet equal victory. Far too many women still lack access to basic screening, accurate diagnosis, and lifesaving treatment. Many health systems remain under-resourced, limiting their ability to provide the quality care women deserve. Eliminating cervical cancer will require sustained commitment, adequate financing, and strong coordination—from governments, partners, communities, and individuals.
I call on all Member States to accelerate national action under the three pillars of the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination:
vaccination, screening, and treatment.
Women’s health and rights must remain central to our journey toward universal health coverage.
Together, we can make elimination a reality—ensuring a future where every woman in Africa has access to the protection, care, and dignity she deserves, no matter where she lives.
