{"id":264098,"date":"2026-01-02T21:56:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T21:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/264098\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T21:56:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T21:56:06","slug":"a-woman-dies-from-cervical-cancer-every-two-minutes-un-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/264098\/","title":{"rendered":"A woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes, UN says"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI felt betrayed by my body,\u201d she told the World Health Organization (WHO<\/a>) as\u00a0part of an initiative<\/a> to eliminate the disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cervical cancer, the\u00a0fourth most common<\/a> cancer in women, took Jeanette\u2019s life a year after she was diagnosed. In January each year, Cancer Awareness Month, WHO underscores that the illness is both preventable and curable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What is cervical cancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cervical cancer is a reproductive cancer that develops in a woman\u2019s cervix and can spread to other parts of the body if not detected or treated early.<\/p>\n

In 2022, an estimated 660,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 350,000 women died from the disease, according to WHO.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UNICEF<\/a>, the UN children\u2019s agency, warns that the<\/a> illness takes away a woman\u2019s life\u00a0every two minutes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) \u2013 an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most sexually active people will have HPV at some point. In most cases, the immune system clears the virus naturally but persistent infection with certain carcinogenic types of HPV can cause abnormal cell growth that may ultimately develop into cancer.<\/p>\n

How can it be prevented or treated?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cervical cancer is both preventable and curable with proper access to screening, vaccination and treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

WHO recommends vaccination for HPV for all girls aged 9\u201314, before they become sexually active and cervical screening from the age of 30 (25 years for women living with HIV).<\/p>\n

When diagnosed, it is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, if it is detected early and managed effectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unequal access to prevention and treatment, however, remains a problem, leading to higher rates of incidence and mortality in some regions of the world like sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The international community responds\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2020, 194 countries initiated a\u00a0global strategy<\/a> with the goal of eliminating cervical cancer. The day it was launched, 17 November, now marks\u00a0World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The strategy sets three targets to be achieved by 2030:<\/p>\n