On 17 November, we mark the third anniversary of the adoption of the World Health Organization's Global Strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer.

On this occasion, we will turn the Butcher's Bridge turquoise, joining the ZORA national program, the Association of Slovenian Cancer Societies and the superhero CECILIA on the path towards eliminating cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the eleventh most common cancer in women and the fourth most common cancer in young women aged 25 to 49 in Europe, and in 2020, the World Health Organization set three targets in the strategy for total elimination of cervical cancer: 90-70-90 – 90% vaccination of girls against HPV, 70% participation of women in screening programs and proper treatment of over 90% of detected precancerous changes of the cervix.

Timely detection of the disease

Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented by timely detection and treatment of precancerous changes, making regular preventive gynaecological examinations crucial. Women who regularly go for screenings are said to have up to 80% less chance of ever getting cervical cancer. A part of the preventive gynaecological examination for the prevention of cervical cancer is a cervical smear or PAP test. Every woman between the ages of 20 and 64 needs to get a PAP smear once every three years.
In 99% of cases of cervical cancer, there is a causal link to the infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which both men and women can transmit. Therefore, vaccination of both boys and girls against the HPV virus is extremely important. Since 2007, a vaccine has been in use in Slovenia that successfully prevents infections with specific HPV genotypes. Vaccination is free of charge for all girls and boys in the 6th grade of primary school.

The immense importance of prevention

If a woman is vaccinated against HPV and regularly participates in screening examinations, the probability that she will get cervical cancer is minimal, according to the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program ZORA for the early detection of precancerous cervical changes. ZORA has been operating in Slovenia for over 20 years and with preventive gynaecological examinations and the analysis of cells in cervical smears, precancerous changes can be detected in time.