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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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

-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…

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•…

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

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,…

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…

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!

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…

TogetHER Executive Director Heather White was asked to provide comments at the 47th Meeting of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Programme Coordinating Board on Friday, December 18th. This critical gathering focused on reviewing progress in the development of UNAIDS’ forthcoming Global AIDS Strategy for 2021-2026.  The Programme Coordinating Board included a special thematic session: Cervical cancer and HIV: addressing linkages and common inequalities to save women’s lives. Dr. White’s comments are presented here in full. Thank you for the opportunity to address the delegation today, and for highlighting the fight against cervical cancer. My name is Dr.…

Photo credit: UNAIDS Every year World AIDS Day offers a unique opportunity to reflect on progress in the battle against HIV and AIDS, as well as comorbidities – including cervical cancer. The emergence of COVID-19 has made 2020 a most exceptional year in almost all aspects of global health, including efforts to achieve UNAIDS’ 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets. Even more striking are recent data indicating that lockdowns associated with COVID-19 – necessary to slowing its spread – are also unfortunately associated with higher risk to the health and safety of girls and women, increasing domestic abuse, sexual assault and unwanted…

November 19, 2020 The impact of COVID-19 on global cervical cancer prevention efforts has been wide-ranging, with unclear long-term ramifications. Our new TogetHER Interview series provides an opportunity for key leaders in global cervical cancer control to discuss current challenges and provide perspective on where the field needs to go from here. This installment of the TogetHER Interview series features Dr. Partha Basu, Head of the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Screening Group. Headshot photo credit: IARC How have you and your organization been impacted by and adapted to COVID-19? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer…

November 16, 2020 The impact of COVID-19 on global cervical cancer prevention efforts has been wide-ranging, with unclear long-term ramifications. Our new TogetHER Interview series provides an opportunity for key leaders in global cervical cancer control to discuss current challenges and provide perspective on where the field needs to go from here. This installment of the TogetHER Interview series features Ellen Starr, Executive Director of Grounds for Health. Header and headshot photo credit: Grounds for Health How have you and your organization been impacted by and adapted to COVID-19? Grounds for Health works in cervical cancer prevention in coffee-growing regions around the world.…