Cervical Cancer Elimination

Elimination Goals

Globally cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women and kills more than 300,000 women every year. 

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General issued a global call to action for the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. Elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem is defined as the reduction of new cervical cancer cases to less than 4 per 100,000 women.

    To eliminate cervical cancer all countries must reduce and maintain cervical cancer cases to less than 4 new cases per 100,000 women. 

In 2020, the World Health Assembly adopted a plan to eliminate cervical cancer globally using the following targets: 

• 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV before their 15th birthday 
• 70% of women screened with high-performance test by 35 years and at 45 years 
• 90% of women with a cervical cancer diagnosis are treated

Cervical Cancer in Georgia

In the US it’s estimated there are over 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer each year (NCI SEER, 2025; ACS, 2026).  

In Georgia there are 7.9 new cases of cervical cancer per 100,000 persons annually (NCI State Cancer Profiles Georgia). However, there are differences across the state with some counties having an incidence as high as 13.7 cases per 100,000 women (NCI State Cancer Profiles Georgia Counties).  

Click here to see more details about cancer, HPV vaccination, and screening in Georgia. 

Current Cervical Cancer Elimination Plans

Many countries have formalized elimination plans, but in the United States many states and regions have taken the initiative to create plans of their own. In the US, 62 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Cancer Centers have endorsed the goal of eliminating HPV-related cancers through HPV vaccination.

 

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention!

 

In 2025, the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast has launched a call to action to eliminate HPV-associated cancers in the Southeast, starting with cervical cancer. HPV vaccination and cervical cancer rates vary widely across the southeast and highlight the urgent need for elimination progress in the area! Two of our neighboring states are pioneering state-wide elimination plans for cervical cancer! 

Check out their resources here and learn more about the importance of eliminating cervical cancer! 

In 2023, Alabama took the lead, being the first state to develop and rollout a statewide cervical cancer elimination plan! Check it out here!

Georgia's Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan

HPV Cancer Free GA is currently working on the development of a statewide elimination plan. Check back here for updates on Georgia’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan!