A Cervical Cancer-Free Future: A Call for Solidarity

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent form of cancer among women in the Philippines with almost 8,000 Filipinas newly diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020. Every day, almost 11 women die of this disease. This means every two hours, a family will lose a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, or a friend. And this is projected to increase year-on-year!

Cervical cancer is a serious health concern for women globally. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer known as the 90-70-90 strategy, a three-pillar approach toward an accelerated action in prevention, screening, and cancer management.

To eliminate cervical cancer, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of below 4 per 100 000 women. Achieving that goal rests on three key pillars and their corresponding targets:

• vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15;
•  screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45;
•  treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.

This strategy is adapted by the Philippines, but to date, we remain to have the lowest rate of cervical cancer vaccination and diagnosis rate worldwide.

It is time to TAKE ACTION AGAINST CERVICAL CANCER! 

We call on policymakers, legislators, political leaders, private organizations, medical organizations, and civil society organizations to work together to make cervical cancer elimination a reality in the Philippines. We urge family members and friends to support women in their cancer journey. Let’s encourage them to get vaccinated, screened, and diagnosed. 

We demand that local governments include programs on cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment in their health and development plans and investment plans. We encourage national and local governments to initiate the institutionalization of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) provisions on patient navigation, palliative care, and pain management, and to support the Institutionalization of the National Immunization Program (INIP), which includes HPV vaccination. We demand the allocation of separate and adequate funds at national and local government levels for scaling up HPV vaccination, HPV screening, and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions and invasive cancer.

We enjoin the private sector to implement cervical cancer prevention and treatment programs and policies and to have an enabling cancer policy in their companies and workplaces (e.g. free HPV vaccination for children of employees age 9-15; free HPV screening for women aged 35 and 45 years old; cervical cancer treatment assistance fund). We ask PhilHealth to expand coverage and reach of the Z benefits package for cervical cancer and to include HPV Screening in the Konsulta Plus Package being developed.

We strongly urge all sectors to continue collaborating and crafting innovative solutions to solve challenges and constraints involved in the implementation of cervical cancer elimination plans, programs, and initiatives.

Together, let's make a difference and eliminate cervical cancer. Join our movement and help promote a safer and healthier future for all Filipino girls and women.

Act now by signing and sharing this petition!