SYDNEY – Australia aims to become the first country in the world to eliminate a form of cancer – cervical cancer – and according to current data, it could achieve this within a decade.
Chrissy Walters' story clearly shows the gravity of this disease. Just six months after giving birth to her first child, after a long struggle to conceive, she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Today, after more than a decade of grueling treatments, the disease has spread and is considered terminal. Her daughter, now 12, is part of the generation that Australia hopes to raise without this cancer.
The country's strategy is based on two main pillars: mass vaccination against the HPV virus and advanced screening programs. HPV (human papillomavirus) is the main cause of this cancer and is one of the rare cases where a form of cancer can be prevented by a vaccine.
Since 2007, Australia has implemented a national vaccination program, later including boys, as potential carriers of the virus. In parallel, the country has moved to more sensitive screening methods, such as HPV testing every five years and the possibility for women to take their own samples, a step that has been called a “game changer.”
The results are clear: since 1982, cases and deaths have been halved. In 2021, for the first time, no new cases were recorded in women under 25. Currently, Australia has about 6.3 cases per 100,000 women and aims to get below 4 – the threshold that defines elimination as a public health problem.
However, challenges remain. Vaccination rates have declined slightly, especially in indigenous communities, where access to health services is more limited and rates of illness and mortality are higher. In addition, vaccine hesitancy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the costs of health services may slow progress.
Globally, Australia is helping other countries such as Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, but scaling up this model is difficult for low-income countries, due to lack of resources and weak health systems.
However, experts consider this a historic moment: for the first time, the world is aiming to eliminate a form of cancer. And in this race, Australia is leading the way.
