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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 Countries in 2020…
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In 2020 alone – one year – over 600,00 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and almost 342,000 women died of the disease. Cervical cancer has been undermining the health and lives of women and tragically disrupting families and entire communities for the entirety of human history. In that context, one year can seem like a tiny star in a vast night sky. Just as you often can’t get a sense of a star’s size or gravity with the naked eye, you can’t always measure a year’s significance in isolation. Recent decades have witnessed the introduction of critical advances in…
More...November 2, 2021 In the months following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, TogetHER reached out to leaders in global cervical cancer control to discuss challenges and provide their perspectives on COVID-19’s immediate impact on programs to safeguard women’s health in low-resource settings. The full set of interviews represents a wide breadth of voices, from global multilaterals to community-based efforts. The pandemic and the world’s response have evolved in the past year, from the release and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, to the emergence of the Delta variant, to a number of rolling regional outbreaks. The past year has also…
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October 20, 2021 In the months following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, TogetHER reached out to leaders in global cervical cancer control to discuss challenges and provide their perspectives on COVID-19’s immediate impact on programs to safeguard women’s health in low-resource settings. The full set of interviews represents a wide breadth of voices, from global multilaterals to community-based efforts. The pandemic and the world’s response have evolved in the past year, from the release and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, to the emergence of the Delta variant, to a number of rolling regional outbreaks. The past year has also…
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October 13, 2021 In the months following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, TogetHER reached out to leaders in global cervical cancer control to discuss challenges and provide their perspectives on COVID-19’s immediate impact on programs to safeguard women’s health in low-resource settings. The full set of interviews represents a wide breadth of voices, from global multilaterals to community-based efforts. The pandemic and the world’s response have evolved in the past year, from the release and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, to the emergence of the Delta variant, to a number of rolling regional outbreaks. The past year…
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October 11, 2021 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…
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September 30, 2021 UPDATE: The submission period for the 2021 round of TogetHER’s Cervical Cancer Grants Program has closed as of October 29th. Successful applicants will be notified by Monday, November 22nd. TogetHER is pleased to announce the launch of a new Request for Application, seeking proposals for our Cervical Cancer Grants Program. We can’t end cervical cancer deaths without changing the way things are done, especially in low-resource settings. Catalytic support is needed to test innovative new strategies and to influence and inspire new programs that can help women around the world. TogetHER’s Cervical Cancer Grants Program aims to provide small, highly…
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August 25, 2021 The world has a new blueprint to save millions of women – including many women living with HIV – from dying of cervical cancer. How long must women around the world wait to see that promise fulfilled? Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) published updated guidelines for screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions for cervical cancer prevention, providing a clear mandate and scientific rationale for global adoption of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the recommended screening method for women worldwide. To put it more simply, it’s a plan for a smarter, faster, and more effective end…
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Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) released updated global guidelines on the screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions for cervical cancer prevention, following last year’s launch of its ambitious global strategy to eliminate this disease. The guidelines – created through a consultative process involving experts, advocates, and communities – emphasize testing for cervical cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), in lieu of screening through cytology (Pap smears) or visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), for all women worldwide. TogetHER for Health enthusiastically supports this critical evolution in cervical cancer prevention. The updated guidelines provide a clear mandate and scientific rationale…
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TogetHER is excited to present this guest blog by Moonshine Agency’s Sue Collins and Kristina Roach. On a mission to help change the the lives millions of women around the globe, a team of filmmakers set out to capture the most incredible health story of our time. The story of conquering cervical cancer. Cervical cancer continues to kill more than 300,000 women every year, but it no longer has to be this way. Prevention is possible and cervical cancer can be eliminated. If the tools that prevent cervical cancer an be leveraged, it’s estimated that the lives of 62 million…
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On November 17, 2020, we witnessed the World Health Organization launch its Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, a clarion call to end a preventable killer of women across the world. Achieving this incredible goal – the first-ever elimination of a cancer – hinges on expanding awareness, fostering political action, and scaling up what works while identifying new strategies that can fast track progress. Building momentum to tackle global public health problems can be challenging in even relatively quiet periods, but the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought a new level of uncertainty. Without sufficient political and financial resources,…
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May 27, 2021 Over 5,200 Kenyan women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020, and almost 3,300 lost their lives. The means to prevent and even end such deaths – vaccination against high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical screening and treatment of cervical lesions – are available and scalable. How can barriers to cervical cancer prevention such as low awareness and mistrust in health systems be overcome? What can inspire the influx of necessary investments to set Kenya – and countries like it – on its path to ending this threat to women across the country? This generation, as…
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May 6, 2021 TogetHER has joined a group of 18 organizations calling on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its newly confirmed Administrator Samantha Power to continue to show leadership in global women’s health by championing efforts to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide. USAID’s strong track record of support in cervical cancer prevention should represent a stepping off point for ambitious new investments toward the first-ever elimination of a cancer. Members and partners of TogetHER for Health recommend the following actions from Administrator Power as she embarks on her critical new role: We look forward to working with…
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-Heather White, Executive Director This year’s World Immunization Week theme of “Vaccines bring us closer” speaks to the desire of billions of people to re-establish the normal patterns of our pre-COVID-19 lives as soon as possible. Now more than ever, the power of vaccines to safeguard health is being celebrated. At the same time, as the world grapples with the challenge of ensuring global access to new vaccines against COVID-19, the human cost of insufficient investment in immunization programs has never been more apparent. I see a return to those “normal” pre-COVID conditions as a critical stepping-off point to a…
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March 31, 2021 TogetHER has convened a group of 18 organizations to highlight contributions to national and global cervical cancer prevention and control by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and to call for new commitments to promote HPV vaccination and cervical screening and treatment. Members and partners of TogetHER for Health recommend the following actions from new HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and his colleagues: We look forward to working with HHS leadership to make cervical cancer elimination a reality. Click here to view the letter. • TogetHER for Health• American Cancer Society• Basic Health International•…
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TogetHER’s work continued in spite of 2020’s ongoing challenges. We focused on sharing the achievements of life-saving prevention and treatment programs, demanding action on their behalf, and creating new tools to catalyze increased political and financial support for cervical cancer interventions. Our 2020 Year in Review provides a recap of a tremendously productive year. Photo credit: “Crochet Blanket” by Auntie P is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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February 3, 2021 As Cervical Cancer Awareness month draws to a close, we at TogetHER for Health are feeling optimistic about the momentum building to accelerate action on HPV and cervical cancer elimination globally. Despite the continued challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global cancer community is rallying around the WHO’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem. This past week, our colleagues at UICC and Jphiego co-hosted a critical dialogue on the need for convergent thinking to support cervical cancer elimination, and TogetHER hosted a webinar with representatives from Gavi,…
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January 19, 2021 The United States has made tremendous contributions to global women’s health. The incoming Biden administration has been given an opportunity to build on this legacy by making defining investments toward the elimination of cervical cancer forever. TogetHER has joined a group of 21 organizations calling on the new administration to build on current commitments to eliminate cervical cancer through coordinated efforts to promote HPV vaccination, as well as cervical screening and treatment. Members and partners of TogetHER for Health recommend the following actions from the incoming Biden Administration: We look forward to working with the Biden administration…
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COVID-19 has presented efforts to prevent cervical cancer with major challenges – but also a number of opportunities. TogetHER and Cervical Cancer Action for Elimination have co-authored a blog post detailing COVID-19’s impact on cervical cancer prevention efforts around the world and highlighting ways in which programs are innovating to keep women protected. This post draws on the perspectives of leaders in global cervical cancer prevention who have taken part in our TogetHER Interviews, as well as the work of the HPV Prevention and Control Board. Many thanks to the NCD Alliance for hosting this exciting collaboration on their blog!
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For those of us working in global cervical cancer prevention/control, 2020 began as the year the world would set a course towards ending this disease, a remarkable milestone for the global cervical cancer community, and for the world. The emergence of COVID-19 changed the trajectory of our personal and professional lives this year, cutting a swath of both unpredictability and tragedy. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption, we were still fortunate to witness history in the making on November 17th, when the World Health Organization approved its Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health…
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