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World Bank, Bill Gates, and UN commit nearly $600 million to eradicate cervical cancer, reports ET HealthWorld

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World Bank, Gates, UN pledge close to $600m to end cervical cancer, ET HealthWorld

Global health donors have pledged nearly $600 million towards eliminating cervical cancer at the first global forum dedicated to fighting the disease. The World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF announced that the funding will be used to expand access to vaccination, screening, and treatment worldwide. Cervical cancer claims a woman’s life every two minutes, with 90% of the deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries where access to preventive measures is limited. The forum aims to address this disparity and work towards ending the disease.

The shot for the human papillomavirus virus (HPV) has been shown to protect against most cervical cancers worldwide. Despite the availability of knowledge and tools to combat cervical cancer, the programs are not reaching the required scale, according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Global Cervical Cancer Elimination forum, held in Cartagena, Colombia, brought together governments and global health partners committed to working together to eradicate the disease.

Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo have pledged to introduce the HPV vaccine as soon as possible, with the WHO endorsing a switch to a one-dose vaccination strategy to protect more girls. The World Bank has committed $400 million over three years, with additional funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF. The collaboration and financial support from global health donors offer hope in the fight against cervical cancer, a preventable and treatable disease that continues to claim lives around the world.

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