Globally, one woman dies every two minutes of cervical cancer.
In Sub-Sahara, the NIH reports more than 75,000 women die annually of cervical cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, "all but one of the top 20 countries worldwide with the highest burden of cervical cancer in 2018 were in Africa," and according to the National Institute of Health, "Cervical cancer is the most common cause of death among women in 21 of the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa." Another statistic from the World Health Organization suggests, "The tragedy is that while this type of cancer is one of the most preventable, poor access to prevention, screening and treatment contributes to 90% of deaths." These figures are beyond concerning.
But this cancer doesn't just kill.
In a region where women are much more likely to die from communicable disease than men, where only ~33% of female children are in school, and women are 20% less likely to pursue higher education than their male counterparts, widespread cervical cancer further holds women back socially and economically. Sub-Sahara has made incredible progress in gender equality in the past years - cervical cancer rates seem posed to slow that progress down. Cervical cancer has the following effects on women's lives:
Interrupts Women’s Education & Career Paths
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Many women diagnosed with cervical cancer are in their 20s–40s, which are prime years for education, work, and caregiving.
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A diagnosis often forces them to leave school or quit jobs, especially due to pain, stigma, or lack of access to treatment.
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Feeds Menstrual, Reproductive, and Sexual Stigma
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Since cervical cancer is linked to HPV (a sexually transmitted virus), women often face blame or shame for their diagnosis.
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This reinforces taboos around sex education, reproductive rights, and women’s bodily autonomy - already weak in many regions.
Increases Financial Dependency on Men
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In low-resource settings, cancer treatment costs can exceed a family’s annual income.
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Women who fall ill often become economically dependent on spouses, partners, or male relatives, losing autonomy and bargaining power.
Achieving gender equality in Sub-Sahara means preventing this highly treatable cancer through education.
According to the WHO Regional Office for Africa, cervical cancer is almost 100% preventable with HPV vaccination and early detection of precancerous lesions via screening that can be treated before progression to cancer. However, one study revealed that in a Ghanaian high school, only 50% initially knew HPV causes cervical cancer - after one educational session, 83% recognized it as the cause. On top of that, a systematic review of 19 studies in Africa (2005–2020) found that educational interventions (lectures, videos, leaflets) consistently and significantly improved awareness of cervical cancer and in many cases increased screening uptake.