The Silent Virus: How HPV Became One of the World’s Most Preventable Cancers

Angle: Global health inequality & policy

BY AUMA VIVIAN ASENATH

ADM: SCJ/237/2023 

In many parts of the world, cervical cancer is detected too late. Women arrive at hospitals when the disease is already advanced often because screening was never available, affordable, or prioritized.“Cervical cancer is not just a medical issue; it is a social justice issue,” says Dr.Otieno a global health policy advisorOver 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. The same virus exists everywhere, but survival depends on where you live.

High-income countries benefit from vaccination, screening, and early treatment. Elsewhere, these systems are fragmented or underfunded.HPV disproportionately affects women not biologically, but structurally. Limited access toreproductive healthcare, stigma around gynecological exams, and gender inequality all contribute to late diagnosis.Dr Otieno notes, “When women’s health is underfunded, preventable diseases thrive.”

tally done by nation News paper showing  no of women suffer from hpv.

The World Health Organization has set targets for eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem:90% vaccination coverage,70% screening coverage90% access to treatmentThe tools already exist. The challenge is political will.Pilot programs using self-sampling HPV tests, school-based vaccination, and community health workers show promise. With sustained investment, elimination is achievable within this century.HPV does not have to be a death sentence. Where systems work, cervical cancer is disappearing. Where they don’t, the virus exposes deeper inequalities.