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May 10, 2023 TogetHER for Health attended the International Papillomavirus Conference (IPVC), organized by the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) held in Washington, DC April 17-21. The week was filled with activity both inside and outside the conference center as we engaged with partners working to save lives from cervical cancer and generated new support and champions in the nation’s capital. The conference itself presented the best opportunity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to meet and mingle with the experts driving both the science and clinical practice of HPV/cervical cancer prevention. It was great to see – and in…
More...In the five-plus years since our founding, TogetHER has prioritized putting a spotlight on the work of our members, the perspectives of leaders and experts in cervical cancer prevention, and on the fantastic work of organizations making strides in reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the most challenging environments. We thought we’d mix it up a bit and shine that spotlight back on ourselves this year, to give our supporters an opportunity to get to know the people behind TogetHER for Health. Enjoy learning more about the first participant in this series, our Executive Director, Heather White! What’s your…
More...Every year on March 8th, International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to recognize the contributions and achievements of women throughout the world, while also acknowledging the very real need to address issues pertaining to gender inequality and inequity. At TogetHER for Health, we’re 100% focused on ending cervical cancer, a preventable disease ending the lives of 342,000 women every year, needlessly undermining the stability of families and communities worldwide TogetHER’s Cervical Cancer Grants Program provides targeted grants designed to generate evidence supporting increased use of improved technologies and strategies to improve vaccination, screening, and early treatment rates in communities across…
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February 28, 2023 The last several years have confronted us with a list of global challenges that can often seem insurmountable. In the field of global cervical cancer prevention, the reality is that too many women are still diagnosed with this preventable disease, and far, far too many lose their lives. And yet, the milestones reached in 2022 are cause for both celebration and further commitment toward cervical cancer elimination. New developments signal increased access to HPV vaccination around the world, even as innovative programs are proving that lifesaving cervical screening and treatment can reach more women even in the…
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January 24, 2023 TogetHER’s Cervical Cancer Grants Program aims to provide small, highly targeted grants addressing demand and supply barriers that prevent access to the life-saving cervical cancer prevention services in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs). These catalytic investments directly improve the lives of girls and women and trigger systemic health improvements such as policy changes, regulatory approvals, and the development of tools and strategies adaptable across the health system. TogetHER is currently accepting submissions from non-governmental organizations for its second round of funding through the Cervical Cancer Grants Program. Questions regarding the application process and the Request for Proposals could be…
More...As of 6:00 PM US Eastern Time on Friday, February 3rd, 2023, TogetHER for Health is no longer accepting submissions to our 2023- 2024 Cervical Cancer Grants Program cycle. Awardees will be announced in March of 2023. When we talk about investing to end cervical cancer, we’re often referring to the mobilization of resources to build capacity and procure the necessary supplies to scale up what we know works: HPV vaccination, cervical screening and early treatment for cervical disease. Translating these massive – and essential – investments to lives saved is no small feat, especially when programs are introducing newer,…
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December 1, 2022 On World AIDS Day – December 1st – the world takes stock of progress in the battle against HIV and AIDS, commemorating the millions lost, celebrating the progress made in the forty years since the onset of this global epidemic, and demanding continued action to safeguard the health of people living with HIV and those at highest risk. As advocates for cervical cancer elimination, we’re deeply attuned to the tragic connection between these two preventable diseases. Cervical cancer is an AIDS-defining illness and the most common cancer globally among women living with HIV, who are six times…
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17 November, 2022 Effective, low-cost tools to prevent and treat cervical cancer are available today, with new tools to save even more women just steps from being deployed. Despite this, resources for cervical cancer prevention, screening, and treatment remain insufficient to change the trajectory of this global epidemic. Better data on current investments in cervical cancer programs in low-income countries (LICs) and lower middle-income countries (LMICs) can inform decision-makers and provide a basis for advocacy for increased financial and political support. TogetHER’s newest summary of this funding – Investing in Global Cervical Cancer Prevention: Resources for Low-Income and Lower Middle-Income…
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On November 17th, 2020, the world celebrated the launch of the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO), the first-ever global plan to actually end any cancer. In short, the strategy lays out three key targets: In two short (but unique) years, the anniversary of that launch has become the day that advocates for this groundbreaking plan take stock of progress, celebrate achievements, and hold decision-makers accountable for their commitments. If you haven’t done so, please do check out the WHO’s dedicated site to see how the world is marking this important…
More...In Kenya, cervical cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women between the ages of 15 and 44, ending the lives of 3,200 Kenyan women every year. The country has among the highest rates of cervical cancer globally. To reverse this trend, TogetHER for Health and Scope Impact launched the Kizazi Chetu (“Our Generation” in Kiswahili) campaign in 2021 to ignite a generation free from cervical cancer in Kenya, by building awareness through community partnership and educational messaging that resulted in a threefold increase in screenings at partner clinics. It’s time to take the next step towards building a sustainable environment…
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September 6, 2022 At the outset of the Biden Administration, TogetHER for Health and a diverse group of organizations called for the United States to provide bold leadership in the effort to eliminate cervical cancer, a preventable killer of over 342,000 women per year around the world. The nineteen months since have witnessed uneven progress for cervical cancer. The United States – through PEPFAR investments in the Go Further collaboration launched in 2018, and USAID’s robust support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – remains the largest funder of cervical cancer prevention in low- and lower middle-income countries. But, the United…
More...Cervical cancer can’t be eliminated if women can’t access prevention interventions that are effective, affordable, and context-appropriate. Thermal ablation devices provide an efficient, portable and cost-effective means to treat pre-cancerous lesions without the challenge of supplying compressed gas and transporting heavy gas cylinders. Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) recently summarized the results of a two-year project to increase access to lifesaving treatment for cervical precancer in low- and middle-income countries.(LMICs). Another element of this collaboration brought UNICEF’s Supply Division to the table to negotiate favorable access prices for thermal ablation devices that enable significant savings for programs in LMICs. We’re…
More...June 23, 2022 Integrating cervical cancer services into broader sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs increases those programs’ reach and efficiency – and saves lives. Effective SRH programs look beyond the window in which women are most likely to bear children, widening the perspective to adolescent health and the sexual health of women in their later years. Efforts to combat cervical cancer through effective prevention tools such as HPV vaccines and cervical screening and treatment can be instructive in understanding such a “life-course” approach to SRH. The Knowledge SUCCESS project – coordinated by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs and…
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April 5, 2022 Cervical cancer often strikes women in the primes of their lives, often while they are busy building a career, raising children and making valuable contributions to their communities. However, cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination against cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), periodic cervical screenings, and if necessary, treatment of cervical lesions before they can develop into cancer. If girls and women can access these interventions, we can end cervical cancer as a threat to women’s health. The state of Alabama bears the highest cervical cancer death rate in the United States. The incidence rate of…
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The market research firm Frost & Sullivan organized three virtual think tanks in 2021 discussing the status of HPV testing in cervical cancer prevention programs in Africa and exploring their long-term implications. TogetHER’s Heather White was asked to participate in this process, along with experts from KILELE Heath Association (Kenya), the University of Edinburgh, TogetHER member Jhpiego, the Zambian Cancer Society, the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine, and Abbott Labs. The resulting summary highlights the need for country leadership for cervical cancer elimination, enhanced visibility for cervical cancer, and a strengthened patient pathway to encourage women to seek out improved services,…
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February 16, 2022 For all of us partnering to make the elimination of cervical cancer a reality, 2021 was the year that vision took shape following the launch of the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer by the World Health Organization in November of 2020. For TogetHER, 2021 was a year of action to drive progress to fulfill the WHO global elimination strategy, from the development and launch of an innovative cervical health advocacy campaign borne from our collaboration with Scope Impact in Kenya, to the launch of an exciting new round of funding through our Cervical…
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The article below is reposted with permission from the sexual health website Giddy, who spoke to TogetHER for Health’s Executive Director Heather White about funding global access to resources. For more information on a wide spectrum of sexual health topics – including a great compilation of cervical cancer content – you can sign up for a free account on the Giddy website at www.getmegiddy.com. Written by Alisa Williams for Giddy The nonprofit organization TogetHER for Health is dedicated to increasing understanding of the disease and access to resources that will help eliminate cervical cancer around the world. In this exclusive…
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TogetHER for Health emerged from the passionate commitment of Kathy Vizas, our Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, who recognized that a critical lack of awareness and a dearth of resources for global cervical cancer prevention puts millions of women’s lives at unnecessary risk. That commitment itself was ignited through Kathy’s membership of PSI’s Maverick Collective, which connected her to a cervical cancer prevention project implemented by PSI India. That project is spotlighted in depth in the newest edition of Maverick Collective’s online publication ISSUE. Watch a conversation about the project and read more from Kathy’s perspective about what inspired her to…
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January 24, 2022 January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the impact cervical cancer has on women, families, and communities around the world. Our organizations – Cervical Cancer Action for Elimination and TogetHER for Health – are committed to driving awareness of the lives affected by this preventable disease, and the opportunities to change those stories. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) outlined a plan to eliminate cervical cancer. This is an unprecedented opportunity: the first-ever chance to globally eliminate a cancer. To put all countries on the path towards elimination, the following targets have…
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16 December, 2021 The world has the means to prevent – and actually eliminate – cervical cancer forever. Effective vaccines that prevent cervical cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) have been in wide circulation for over a decade, and methods for the screening and treatment of cervical precancer are affordable, scalable, and increasingly more accurate and less invasive. Unfortunately for many women in low-resource settings, access to these lifesaving interventions remains a significant – and life-threatening – challenge. Over 600,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020, and almost 342,000 women needlessly lost their lives to the…
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