January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Why is Cervical Cancer Month so important? Cervical cancer is a major killer of women worldwide and yet it is highly preventable. Next year, nearly 300,000 women are expected to die from cervical cancer, mainly due to lack of access to basic screening services. Approximately 90% of them will be in low and middle-income. The disease kills almost 700 women per day in developing countries – that’s one every two minutes. Most of these deaths can be prevented.

Proven prevention programs like the ones led by Grounds for Health are creating tangible results in Latin America and East Africa to fight this deadly

Screening tests are readily available for detecting early cervical cancer as well as vaccines to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the main cause of cervical cancer. However, half of cervical cancers occur among women rarely or never screened for cancer. It’s hard to believe that 95% of women living in the developing world are never screened and that is why the death rate from cervical cancer is so high … and climbing.

Women who die from cervical cancer, die young, typically in their 40’s. These are the mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who are pivotal to the health and wellbeing of their families and communities.

People in developed countries do not think of cervical cancer as the major, global health problem that it is. Women in the west, for the most part, have access to life saving early detection. Not so for poor women living in rural areas in much of the world. Women who die from cervical cancer, die young, typically in their 40’s. These are the mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who are pivotal to the health and wellbeing of their families and communities.

Mothers, daughters, sisters.

Since 1996, Grounds for Health has screened 232,536 and treated 19,103 women for cervical cancer. When cervical cancer is detected early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.

Please support the cause to end this killer of women by letting others know about Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this January.

A woman who is screened even once in her life through a program like Grounds for Health is already 30% less likely to die from cervical cancer. Screened twice and her risk is reduced by 66%. Please help in spreading the word regarding this very important and preventable disease that affects so many women in the developing world.

When you give to Grounds for Health, your donation may save a life, preserve a family and empower a community half way around the world. Women taking care of women – a powerful strategy for a better world.