India is home to over 500 million women and girls who are at risk of cervical cancer. More than 120,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year across India, with 8,000 of these cases reported in my state of Maharashtra. Around 77,000 women die from the disease annually in India – the country has the highest burden of cervical cancer in Asia.
Yet, cervical cancer is preventable and curable, if detected early. However, this relies on women and girls having access to effective screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination services, as most cases are caused by infection with HPV. The growing burden of cervical cancer in India represents a major inequity that desperately needs correcting, to protect women and communities from the devastating effects of this disease.
