In a historic milestone for women’s health, the world today observed the first-ever World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, officially mandated by the World Health Assembly. 

The commemoration signals a major step forward in the global fight against a disease that claims more than 350,000 women every year, despite being largely preventable.

The day serves as a unified call to action as countries accelerate HPV vaccination drives, expand screening programmes, and scale up treatment services—advancing the ambitious goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.

At the heart of this global movement are the pillars of the WHO elimination strategy: vaccinating 90% of girls against HPV, screening 70% of women, and ensuring 90% of those diagnosed with pre-cancer or invasive cancer receive timely treatment. 

This year’s launch sends a strong message that the vision of a cervical cancer–free future is closer than ever.

Reflecting on the progress, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “In 2018, I was proud to launch the global call to action on cervical cancer elimination, and I'm even prouder now to see what was once a distant dream becoming a reality.” He noted the growing number of countries scaling up HPV vaccination, improving screening, and expanding access to treatment.

Evidence of this momentum came with an announcement from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which reported that the global goal of reaching 86 million girls with HPV vaccination by the end of 2025 has already been achieved. The achievement reflects strong national commitments and partnerships driving the elimination agenda.

Countries worldwide marked the inaugural day with large-scale activities. 

Sierra Leone and Liberia rolled out nationwide vaccination campaigns targeting more than 1.5 million girls, while Sierra Leone also announced mass screening across all districts. 

In Malaysia, cervical cancer survivors led a week-long awareness campaign promoting self-sampling HPV tests—an innovation helping women access screening more easily.

The past year has seen remarkable national progress. Angola, China, Cuba, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Tunisia are among the many countries that launched or expanded HPV vaccination in 2025. Rwanda pushed ahead with a bold plan to meet the WHO’s elimination targets years ahead of schedule, while Indonesia reaffirmed its 2030 elimination pledge at a major global forum.

South Africa brought the elimination agenda to the G20 platform, underlining its importance in global health discussions, and Spain extended international support to strengthen HPV vaccination and screening programmes in African and Eastern Mediterranean regions.

Across the Western Pacific, WHO and Unitaid expanded collaboration to improve access to screening and treatment for precancerous lesions, ensuring underserved populations are not left behind.

As nations intensify their efforts, World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day stands as a powerful reminder of what coordinated action can achieve. The tools to end this disease—vaccines, early screening, and effective treatment—already exist. Now, the global community is moving with unprecedented commitment to ensure every girl and woman, irrespective of geography, has access to them.

With the inaugural observance setting a strong precedent, the world is one step closer to a future where cervical cancer is no longer a threat—but a story of successful elimination.