Every year, cervical cancer continues to impact hundreds of thousands of women, families, and communities, even though we have all the tools we need to prevent it and even eliminate it completely. Access to vaccines, screening and treatment continues to be scarce in the places that need them most. Vaccines prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, in turn preventing cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers.

To boost efforts to eliminate the risk of cervical cancer, the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum: Advancing the Call to Action, will take place March 5–7, 2024, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The event is led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

An organizing partner, the Global Financing Facility (GFF) will be participating in the event.

The forum aims to catalyze governments, donors, civil society, and others to commit to cervical cancer elimination and galvanize the global community.

WHO’s Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination, launched on November 17, 2020, lays out a clear path to eliminating the disease through vaccination, screening and treatment. New evidence for a single-dose vaccine, and updated recommendations to simplify and increase access to screening and treatment, will reduce barriers to implementing WHO’s strategy. The strategy sets out three clear targets to meet by 2030 to put countries on the path to elimination:

  • 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV by age 15
  • 70% of women screened with a high-performance test by age 35 and again at 45
  • 90% of women with cervical disease receiving treatment

Annual deaths from cervical cancer will likely reach 410,000 by 2030 if we do not change course. This forum aims to be a pivotal moment and a historic first step in securing government commitments to eliminate, for the first time ever, a full category of cancer on a global scale.

The event will be live streamed in English and Spanish. Check back for additional information and a list of commitments.

Organizing partners

  • Government of Colombia
  • Government of Spain
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
  • Global Financing Facility 
  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
  • UNICEF
  • United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
  • Unitaid
  • World Bank
  • World Health Organization
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