Eliminating Cervical Cancer
A global commitment to eliminating cervical cancer launched in 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) identified three key pillars:
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- 90% coverage of HPV Vaccination of girls (by 15 years of age)
- 70% coverage of screening (70% of women are screened with high-performance tests by the ages of 35 and 45 years)
- 90% treatment of precancerous lesions and Management of 90% of invasive cancer cases
Australia is the First Country…
in the world on track to eliminate cervical cancer by as early as 2028 to 2035 as a public health problem. This can be achieved through a combination of HPV vaccination, screening and treatment of pre-cancers and invasive cancers.
“ELIMINATION” means fewer than 4 per 100,000 women diagnosed with cervical cancer per year.
11 Filipino Women Die Daily
In the Philippines, from the 1980s to today, Cervical Cancer remains the second most common cancer in women. Despite effective cervical cancer prevention, screening and management made available to us, about 11 to 12 Filipina women succumb to the disease each day.
We can no longer ignore cervical cancer as a global health issue nor can we continue to overlook the unnecessary deaths that arise from socioeconomic disparities and stigma. To tolerate these systemic inequities would be one of the most grievous offenses against the fundamental rights of all girls and women.
No woman should die from cervical cancer. Ever.
WHO 2021 Philippine Cervical Cancer Report
Primary Prevention: The Philippine HPV Vaccination program coverage among girls (2020) shows fewer than 1 in 10 girls in the primary target cohort in 2020 have received their final HPV vaccination dose.
Secondary Prevention (Screening): The Philippine Screening for Cervical Cancer (2019) shows fewer than 1 in 10 women have been screened for cervical cancer in the last 5 years.
The low HPV vaccination rate and the low cervical cancer screening uptake are robbing families of mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers, as well reduces productivity, limiting economic growth, and may trap families in poverty.Â
Investing in cervical cancer prevention and control makes sense. For every dollar invested in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, at least $3.20 will be returned to the economy through 2050.Â
Cervical Screening Failures
It’s a sobering reality that despite the availability of multiple cervical cancer screening methods in the Philippines, countless women continue to lose their lives to this devastating disease. This failure to effectively combat cervical cancer can be traced back to several critical factors plaguing our healthcare system.
First and foremost, there exists a widespread lack of awareness regarding the crucial importance of regular cervical screenings. Many women simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge needed to prioritize their own health through preventive measures, leaving them vulnerable to the ravages of cervical cancer.
Compounding this issue is the stark reality that in remote areas, access to screening and treatment facilities is severely limited, if not entirely absent. This geographical disparity in healthcare infrastructure leaves countless women without the means to seek out life-saving screenings and interventions.
Moreover, the shortage of medical professionals further exacerbates the situation, particularly in underserved communities where the need is most acute.
Without an adequate number of trained healthcare providers to administer screenings and deliver follow-up care, even those who manage to access facilities face significant barriers to receiving timely and effective treatment.
Adding insult to injury, the prohibitively high cost of screening tests serves as yet another deterrent for many Filipino women. In a country where healthcare expenses can quickly spiral out of control, the financial burden associated with screening tests can pose a formidable barrier to seeking preventive care.
However, amidst these daunting challenges lies an opportunity for transformation. By addressing these systemic barriers head-on, we can pave the way for a future where every Filipino woman has equal access to life-saving cervical screenings and interventions.
This journey begins with education – empowering women with the knowledge they need to advocate for their own health and well-being. From there, we must invest in expanding access to screening and treatment facilities, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
Furthermore, we must explore innovative solutions to alleviate the financial burden of screening tests, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to accessing essential healthcare services.
Our Solution?
Empowering local heroes – community health workers, midwives, and nurses – with the training and tools they need to conduct cervical screenings seamlessly. Picture it: every day, in every barangay, these dedicated professionals armed with innovative colposcope devices, employ the visual inspection method to examine the cervix in unprecedented detail.
What sets our solution apart is the integration of cutting-edge technology. These colposcopes capture magnified images of the cervix, which are then analyzed by an artificial intelligence system. This isn’t just about accuracy; it’s about revolutionizing the way we approach healthcare. And the best part? These images are instantly transmitted to doctors for final evaluation, ensuring expert oversight no matter where the screening takes place.
By deploying this approach, we’re not just increasing accessibility to cervical screening; we’re enhancing its accuracy and efficacy, one community at a time. No longer will women be bound by geographic limitations or hindered by resource constraints. Cervical screening becomes a routine, accessible part of healthcare, ensuring that every woman has the opportunity to prioritize her well-being.
Join us in championing this cause. Together, let’s make cervical screening not just a possibility, but a fundamental right for every woman in our communities. Together, let’s save lives.
HPV INFECTION & PROGRESSION TO CERVICAL CANCER
Almost all sexually active people have HPV at some point in their life. In medical terms, sexually active is defined as engaging in any form of sexual activity with someone – be it with a boy or girl. If you have EVER had sex, even once, you are technically sexually active.
Research has found that it can take 5 to 10 years for HPV-infected cervical cells to develop into precancers and about 20 years to develop into cancer.
The majority of women who become infected clear the virus within about 8 to 12 months. The majority have no detectable abnormalities on cervical Pap screening. But some women will have CIN 1, or a low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, most of which, again, resolve to clear HPV infection.
It’s actually a minority of people who go on to persistent HPV infection with the development of CIN 2/3, or high-grade cervical dysplasia. From studies looking at the prevalence of HPV infection and comparing that to the age of incidence of cervical cancer, it’s estimated that the latency between infection and development of cervical cancer is on average from 15 to 20 years.
At present, researchers are unable to predict with any accuracy which HPV infections will progress to cervical cancer and which are among the majority that regress. Our BEST fight to eliminate CERVICAL CANCER is to get HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening.
Kaya… Magpa “SILIP CERVIX” na para siguradong “SAGIP BUHAY” ka!
WHAT WE DO
Silip Cervix Sagip Buhay
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the Philippines. Shockingly, despite being highly preventable, 11 Filipino women still lose their lives to this disease every day.
Silip Cervix Sagip Buhay is an initiative that aims to raise awareness about cervical cancer and promote cervical cancer screening. The ultimate goal is to encourage early detection of precancerous lesions, increase cancer prevention, and reduce the number of cervical cancer cases, ultimately saving women’s lives.
GET FREE CERVICAL SCREENINGOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
(As of March 27, 2024)
Our Silip Cervix Sagip Buhay program aims to provide education and cervical screening services to over 10000 women within a year, starting from March 2, 2024, until March 1, 2025. This board serves as a reminder of our commitment and motivation to reach our goal.
VIEW OUR SCREENING EVENTS015
SITES ATTENDED
0433
PATIENTS SCREENED
0000
HPV VACCINES GIVEN
024
PATIENTS REQUIRING INTERVENTION
NEWS AND EVENTS
MEDIA
@Philippine National Cancer Summit
@DZRH
@NICCA Localization Summit Bataan