Cervical Cancer Preventable; HPV Vaccine Available

During cancer awareness month, there was an observation to suggest that more young women were being diagnosed with cancer. Doctor Natalia Largaespada Beer says that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has been recording this data. Seventy percent of cervical cancer cases are in women between the ages of twenty-five to fifty-nine. It is caused by the human papillomavirus for which vaccination is available. During the COVID pandemic, however, the coverage had reduced.

Natalia Largaespada Beer

Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Maternal & Child Health Technical Advisor, M.O.H.W.

“Cervical cancer is preventable cancer and here comes again vaccines. Vaccinations against HPV is preventing cervical cancer. And the HPV vaccination coverage, we were, the highest was in the seventies and it dropped to fifteen percent in 2021 – 2020/2021 – and the explanation for that is the closing of the schools because our HPV vaccination is a school-based vaccination program. Nonetheless, we had parents calling in to get the vaccines. To prevent cervical cancer, one needs to get vaccinated and one needs to start screening for cervical cancer. We recommend to start screening at twenty-five years with the HPV test that is now available in country. If women below twenty-five have signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, of course they need to come in as early as possible. But the successful for attempting to eliminate cervical cancer is vaccine, early screening and early treatment.”