Cervical cancer awareness While cervical cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed, it is the number one killer of women in the oncology space.
As South Africa marks Women's Month, health advocates are urging the country to turn its commitment to women's rights into meaningful action by accelerating efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, a disease that continues to claim thousands of lives each year despite being largely preventable.
Cervical cancer remains the second-most common cancer among South African women between the ages of 15 and 44, and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in this age group.
Nearly 6,000 women lose their lives to the disease annually, even though more than 95% of cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be prevented through vaccination and detected early through regular screening.
For Salomé Meyer, director at the Cancer Alliance of South Africa, Women's Month serves as a reminder that celebrating women must also include protecting their health.
