Project Syndicate: Stopping Women’s Next Biggest Killer
Anuradha Gupta, deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

“…For the first time, the number of deaths caused by cervical cancer every year is poised to outstrip the total caused by childbirth. … The tragedy is that these deaths are almost entirely preventable. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, coupled with screening and treatment, could prevent the vast majority of cervical cancer cases. But almost 90 percent of the women who die from cervical cancer are in developing countries, where, for too many of them, screening services are unavailable, and treatment even less so. … It is imperative to act now to ensure that every girl has access to HPV vaccines and a healthy future free from cervical cancer, no matter where she lives” (4/14).