Global partners unite to defeat women’s cancers in Asia Pacific

Worldwide, cancers affecting women, particularly breast and cervical cancers, are on the rise, and nowhere is that more true than in Asia Pacific. A study by Economist Impact, commissioned by the Asia Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition and supported by Roche, found that cancers affecting women account for 45% of all global breast cancer cases and 58% of cervical cancer deaths worldwide. And yet, these cancers—particularly cervical cancer—are preventable with proper screening and diagnosis.

Combatting this alarming trend is thea new collaboration of partners who are working together to expand preventive healthcare for women in the region. 

Heather, whose organisation is part of the coalition, explains that the group brings together powerful partners who are skilled in things like advocacy, resource mobilisation, and on-the-ground know-how to reduce cases of cervical and breast cancer in Asia Pacific.

“Wiping out cervical cancer by the next century is the goal,” Heather says. “Each of the partners that come to the table in our coalition bring a different perspective, and different levels of knowledge and understanding at a regional and global level. Together, we can focus and figure out who we call on. What are the numbers telling us in this area? And where do we see an opportunity?”

Cervical cancer is one of the easiest cancers to prevent, Heather says of this disease, which is caused in nearly all cases by human papillomavirus, or HPV. Cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccination, screening, early detection and treatment. 

But conditions in many Asia Pacific countries make it difficult to implement preventive care. Many women don’t have the access they need to transportation to be able to reach preventive health clinics, or can’t go because of childcare responsibilities or lack of money to pay. 

Also, cultural beliefs against vaccinating girls against a sexually-transmitted virus in areas where women are not supposed to have sex outside of marriage or wear condoms to protect themselves from diseases their husbands may have, along other personal fears related to deadly diseases like cancer prevent patients from getting the care they deserve in a region where women’s health is often underfunded. 

”If you even say the word cancer, people think they have it,” says Heather. Combatting personal fears and stigma around cancer is one of the priorities of the coalition's work via educational campaigns to spread awareness that HPV-related cancers, and particularly cervical cancer, are both preventable and highly treatable, if detected early.

As the Asia Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition is focusing on eliminating women’s cancers in the region, Heather and TogetHER for Health provide advocacy and policy work as well as offer small grants to cervical cancer and reproductive health programmes on the ground in low- and middle-income countries. 

For example, one of the grants supports Malaysia’s Program ROSE by funding communications efforts to help expand an HPV testing programme where women can collect their own vaginal samples to be tested by a healthcare provider. Program ROSE has held community outreach events to bring education as well as methods for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. 

Additionally, TogetHER for Health worked together with Program ROSE to expand their communications and messaging, adapting to the needs of the multi-ethnic, multilingual and multicultural communities throughout Malaysia, many of which are underserved. The support allowed Program ROSE to expand their HPV testing screening model to underserved ethnic minority groups in eastern Malaysia.

Thanks to sponsorships and donations, Program ROSE has screened 25,000 women in 200 locations, cementing its status as a model programme in the country, and wider the region.

“Globally, we see about 660,000 new cases and over 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer annually,” Heather says. “The majority of women around the world have never been screened for HPV, which is why we are sounding the alarm for change, because HPV causes over 99% of cervical cancers.” 

Heather says that a combination of an HPV vaccination given to girls at a young age, ideally between 9-12 years of age, prior to exposure to the sexually-transmitted virus, and screening for women during their reproductive years can lower rates of lower rates of cancer-causing strains of HPV to “undetectable levels and dramatically reduce the number of cervical cancer cases globally.” 

TogetHER for Health and the Asia Pacific Women's Cancer Coalition are working to meet cervical cancer elimination goals set by the World Health Organization. The WHO’s Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination sets a 2030 target for reaching goals for vaccination, screening, and treatment. 

This include ensuring that 90% of all girls in the region are fully vaccinated against HPV by the age of 15 as well as 70% of women are screened with a high performance test for cervical cancer, ideally by ages 35 and again at 45, and and 90% of women identified with the disease receive treatment.

With the WHO strategy in place as a guiding principle for reducing cancer rates, the Asia Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition commissioned Economic Impact, anin six countries in the Asia Pacific region - India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan. This analysis revealed actionable steps for change that regional governments could initiate to reduce the impact of cancer on women and strengthen communities. In the case of cervical cancer, for instance, every dollar invested in interventions could return $3 to the local economy.

TogetHER for Health and the Asia Pacific Women's Cancer Coalition are on a mighty mission to improve women’s health and strengthen the region through prevention efforts and breaking down barriers to care. Thanks to programs like TogetHER for Health, a stronger, healthier future for women and their families throughout Asia is on the horizon.