Washington, DC, February 7, 2002 (PAHO) - Each year, more than 230,000 women die of cervical cancer, at least 80 percent

"Roughly 30,500 women die annually of cervical cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean," says Dr. Sylvia Robles, coordinator of PAHO's Non-Communicable Diseases Program. "Yet we know how to prevent it, since it has an infectious origin, the human papillomavirus [HPV]."

HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus, certain strains of which can cause precancerous cervical lesions that can develop into cancer if not treated. In developed countries, screening and treatment programs have helped reduce the incidence of cervical cancer to fewer than 5 cases per 100,000.

In developing countries, however, costs and lack of appropriate health infrastructure mean effective screening and treatment are not widely available. In this context, cervical cancer is too often diagnosed at an advanced, incurable stage.

To help reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in the Americas, PAHO's Program on Non-Communicable Diseases is working to identify, develop, and make available cost-effective strategies for screening and treatment in "low-resource settings." PAHO is working with five other groups within the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention to assess innovative approaches for screening and treatment in developing countries. The Alliance members are PAHO, EngenderHealth, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the JHPIEGO Corp., and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH). The groups received a $50 million, five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support their work.

At a January meeting at PAHO, Alliance members discussed their ongoing research and demonstration projects on the accuracy, acceptability, and feasibility of various screening tests as well as strategies for promotion and service delivery. One of the screening tests being examined is a low-cost method called visual inspection with acetic acid, which makes abnormal cervical lesions visible to the unassisted eye.

PAHO's work in this area includes technical assistance to help Member Countries improve the organization, delivery, and evaluation of screening and treatment programs, as well as the quality of services. Emphasis has been on encouraging the participation of women in screening and treatment programs, with demonstration projects to assess various approaches.

Women most often become infected with HPV in their 20s or 30s, but only a minority go on to develop cancer, a process that can take up to 20 years. In Latin America and the Caribbean, women aged 35 to 54 account for the greatest proportion of annual deaths from the disease.

PAHO, which serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, was officially established in 1902 and is today the world's oldest international health organization. It works with all the countries of the Americas to improve health and quality of life.

More information on cervical cancer is available at:

Cervical Cancer Fact Sheet

A Brief Snapshot of the Situation: Cervical Cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2001

Perspectives in Health Magazine: Deconstructing the Myths of Cervical Cancer