Cervical Cancer: Ethiopia’s Outlook

Globally, cervical cancer accounted for an estimated 528,000 new cancer cases worldwide and for 266,000 deaths in 2012. In Ethiopia, 35.9 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed and 22.6 die from it, per 100,000 women annually. There are many factors associated with cervical cancer in Ethiopia such as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), cultural factors, Poverty, Coinfection and lack of awareness. Ethiopia has no standard policy or protocol for cervical cancer screening rather it is patchy or inconsistent. Ethiopian women typically present for cancer care at a late stage in the disease, where treatment is likely ineffective. To produce significant decrease in incidence and mortality, barriers should be addressed as well research studies should be strengthened in the areas of cervical cancer.