By Mapaballo Borotho
- South Africa is set to launch a national strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat.
- The plan aligns with global targets focusing on vaccination, screening, and treatment.
- Leaders including President Cyril Ramaphosa and WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus are expected to attend the launch.
The South African Department of Health will on Friday, 08 May 2026, launch a strategy for cervical cancer elimination as the country intensifies efforts to eradicate the disease as a public health threat.
This comes as, globally, a woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes.
“In our country, we have a huge burden of disease due to cervical cancer, as it remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. In 2022, 11,000 women were diagnosed with cancer of the cervix, and 6,000 died due to this disease,” said Health spokesperson Foster Mohale.
In line with the World Health Organization Global Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, the South African government has adopted an ambitious programme aimed at:
- 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 ages of 35 and 45
- Treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated, and 90% with invasive cancer managed
Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the official launch programme, joined by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, along with other Cabinet ministers.
Other dignitaries expected to attend include representatives of development partners, such as Tedros Ghebreyesus, as well as leaders from labour unions, civil society, and the private sector.
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