A ccording to global estimates, every two minutes a woman succumbs to cervical cancer. In South Africa, the burden is severe - in 2022, 11,000 women were diagnosed with cancer of the cervix and 6,000 died from the disease.

In line with the World Health Organization's Global Strategy for Elimination, South Africa has adopted an ambitious three-pronged programme: vaccinating 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine by age 15; screening 70% of women using high-performance tests by age 35 and again by age 45; and treating 90% of women with pre-cancer and 90% with invasive cancer.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus will join the President at the launch.