Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is one of the official global annual health campaigns of the World Health Organization.

Official Month: January

This campaign focuses on spreading awareness on cervical cancer and the importance of HPV vaccination in preventing it.

Key Focus Areas

• Educate women about cervical cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes it.
• Raise awareness on the importance of HPV vaccination for children aged 9-14 years.
• Raise awareness on the need to carry out regular screening after the age of 30, since early diagnosis makes treatment easier and more effective. 

Top Facts

• Cervical cancer is the 6th most common cancer in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
• In 2020, nearly 89,800 females in the region were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and the disease claimed the lives of over 47,500 women.
• 99% of cervical cancer cases are associated with contracting HPV, a highly prevalent virus transmitted through sexual contact.
• Though a preventable and treatable disease, lack of access to good-quality health services makes cervical cancer treatment difficult in low-income countries.