CEBU CITY, Philippines — Rising cervical cancer numbers across Central Visayas have sharpened calls for higher Local Government Unit (LGU) investment to complement the Department of Health (DOH) HPV immunization program. At the Cebu Cervical Cancer Elimination Summit media forum, health leaders said scaling prevention through vaccination is essential to meet the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 elimination targets.
According to Dr. Joan Antonette Albito, Medical Officer and head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Section at DOH–Central Visayas CHD, cervical cancer still takes about 12 Filipina lives every day—roughly one every two hours. She emphasized that each number represents a family’s loss and that the disease remains a major public-health challenge in the Philippines.
“Cervical cancer can be prevented through regular screening and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes about 99% of all cervical cancer. However, statistics show that an estimated 12 Filipinas die of this disease daily. It means every two hours, a woman loses her fight against cervical cancer, and a family loses a loved one. Cervical cancer, remains a major health challenge in the Philippines,” the doctor said.
She noted that, worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, with about 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths in 2022. The burden is heaviest in low- and middle-income countries, where limited access to HPV vaccination, cervical screening, and treatment—compounded by social and economic barriers—drives higher incidence and mortality.
Sharing regional data, Dr. Albito reported that in Central Visayas screening output rose from 3,728 women (0.15%) in 2021 to 14,946 (0.60%) in 2024, while those found positive or suspected increased from 51 (2021) to 205 (2022), 218 (2023), and 241 (2024). Mortality also climbed: the region recorded 45 deaths (rate 0.56) in 2021, 52 (0.64) in 2022, 123 (1.48) in 2023, and 163 (1.95) in 2024; Cebu Province logged 33 (1.01), 37 (1.24), 56 (1.64), and 60 (1.74) over the same period.
Cebu’s strategy centers on HPV vaccine complementation, bringing services to where families already are. Leaders urged routine school-based vaccination for girls aged 9–14, barangay and mobile vaccination days for hard-to-reach communities, reliable supply and cold-chain capacity, and demand-generation efforts that engage parents and address hesitancy. The aim is to make on-time vaccination the norm, not the exception, so national goals translate into local impact.
Medical partners outlined supporting measures that help keep people in care. The POGS–Cebu Chapter runs screen-and-treat missions that pair VIA/Pap smear (and HPV DNA testing where available) with same-day care to reduce drop-offs. Cebu City, with Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and partners, is piloting self-collection HPV DNA testing, which clinicians say many women find more acceptable, useful for integrating prevention with early detection.
A survivor’s account at the forum highlighted the human cost of late detection—years of treatment, financial strain, and disrupted livelihoods—reinforcing the value of early consultation and prevention. Summit organizers closed with a call for immediate LGU action to prioritize prevention: complement DOH allocations by scaling HPV immunization. Delivering prevention is the most direct path to curb the rise of cervical cancer cases in Cebu and across Central Visayas.
