Road Town, British Virgin Islands, 15 July 2026 – Key stakeholders from across the health sector gathered on 15 July for a national consultation aimed at developing a strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem in the British Virgin Islands by 2030.
The Cervical Cancer Elimination Stakeholder Consultation Meeting brought together approximately 40 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Development, representatives from other government agencies, healthcare providers from the public and private sectors, civil society organization and representatives of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
The consultation forms part of PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative (30 by 30), a flagship initiative that supports countries and territories of the Americas in accelerating action to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030. Through integrated, people-centred approaches to prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care, the initiative aims to reduce health inequities and improve health outcomes across the Region. The development of a National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy represents an important milestone in the British Virgin Islands' contribution to this regional effort.
Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon. Vincent Wheatley, delivered the feature address, highlighting the territory's achievements in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination while emphasizing the need to strengthen every stage of cervical cancer prevention and care.
"Here in the Virgin Islands we have reasons to be encouraged. Our HPV vaccination programme has performed extraordinarily well, with coverage of more than 90 percent among targeted populations for two consecutive years," Minister Wheatley said.
He added, "Vaccination is a powerful foundation, but we must also strengthen every part of the prevention and care pathway. Screening, diagnosis, treatment, referral systems, data collection, public education, and access to services must all work together if we are to achieve the results we want."
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Ms. Tasha Bertie, underscored the importance of collaboration in developing a strategy that reflects the needs of the territory.
"Today's consultation is about more than developing a strategy. It is about bringing together the knowledge, experience, and perspectives needed to strengthen how we prevent disease, improve access to services, and ultimately enhance the quality of care provided to the women of the Virgin Islands," Ms. Bertie said.
She thanked PAHO/WHO for its continued partnership and technical support, noting that the Organization's expertise and commitment to strengthening health systems across the region continue to be invaluable to the Virgin Islands.
PAHO/WHO Interim Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr. Prabhjot Singh, commended the British Virgin Islands for its strong leadership in HPV vaccination and emphasized the importance of sustaining momentum across the full continuum of cervical cancer prevention and care.
"The British Virgin Islands has already demonstrated outstanding leadership by achieving more than 90 per cent HPV vaccination coverage for two consecutive years, meeting the first pillar of the World Health Organization's 90-70-90 targets for cervical cancer elimination. Through PAHO's Disease Elimination Initiative, we are supporting countries across the Americas in reaching the goal of eliminating more than 30 diseases and related conditions by 2030, and the consultation marks an important step in the Virgin Islands' journey toward that shared vision," Dr. Singh said.
Technical presentations provided participants with global, regional, and national perspectives on cervical cancer elimination. Dr. Taraleen Malcolm, PAHO/WHO Advisor for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, presented the global and regional framework for cervical cancer elimination, while Dr. Ronald Georges outlined the current cervical cancer situation in the Virgin Islands. Dr. Sarah Benitez, PAHO/WHO Consultant, presented recommended screening and management algorithms, and Dr. Solange Kobi Jackson, PAHO/WHO Advisor for Community Health and Life Course for Primary Health Care, discussed vaccination-related components of the elimination strategy especially how to sustain the coverage above 90%.
The consultation featured active stakeholder participation, with robust discussions following group work sessions focused on implementation strategies for vaccination, screening and treatment. Participants explored practical approaches to strengthening community communication and engagement, services, and ensuring equitable access to prevention and high-quality care across the territory.
Following the stakeholder consultation, the PAHO/WHO team conducted site visits to the public laboratory, the Road Town Clinic and three private healthcare facilities to better understand the client journey through cervical cancer screening services in both the public and private sectors. The team also visited a public clinic in Virgin Gorda to observe service delivery processes and gain insight into screening practices across the territory.
The consultation represents a significant step toward the development of a comprehensive National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy aligned with regional and global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. The strategy will guide coordinated action to ensure that boys and girls have access to vaccination, and women in the Virgin Islands have access to high-quality prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.
Through the continued collaboration of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, healthcare providers, partners, communities, and PAHO/WHO, the British Virgin Islands is well positioned to build on its strong HPV vaccination performance and accelerate progress toward achieving the PAHO/WHO’s cervical cancer elimination targets by 2030.
