Eliminating cervical cancer in Canada

Learn about Canada’s Action Plan for the elimination of cervical cancer and progress being made across the country. 

About this resource 

This resource reports on Canada’s progress toward achieving the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, 2020–2030 (Action Plan) goal and targets for eliminating cervical cancer since they were set in 2020. It also recommends strategies for continued improvements. The stories of progress profile how provinces, territories, health programs, governments and organizations are reducing inequities in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, cervical screening and follow-up, and advancing priorities identified by First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. The information in this resource was collected from 2023 to 2024. 

Canada’s commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040

Cervical cancer remains a public health burden and affects the lives of thousands of people in Canada and hundreds of thousands around the world. Yet it is almost entirely preventable through vaccination and highly curable when found through screening and treated early.1

The World Health Organization has set the goal of eliminating cervical cancer worldwide this century, and Canada is committed to achieving this by 2040. The Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, 2020–2030 (Action Plan) is guiding implementation efforts, which include strengthening partnerships across Canada to improve equitable access to high-quality prevention and care.

Download the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, 2020–2030

The Action Plan at a glance

Canada has an ambitious but achievable plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

Icons to represent culturally appropriate care closer to home. Visual includes the First Nations, Inuit and Métis symbols in a houseCulturally appropriate care closer to home
Icon to represent peoples-specific, self-determined cancer care. Visual of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis symbolsPeoples-specific, self-determined cancer care
Icon to represent First Nations-, Inuit- and Métis-governed research and data systems. Visual of a clipboard with a graph on itFirst Nations-, Inuit- and Métis-governed research and data systems

Peoples-specific priorities

Icon to represent improve HPV vaccination rates. Visual of a needleImprove HPV vaccination rates
Icons to represent implement HPV primary screening. Visual of a test tubeImplement HPV primary screening
Icon to represent improve follow-up of screening results. Visual of a clip boardImprove follow-up of screening results

Cervical cancer elimination is defined as fewer than four cervical cancer cases per 100,000 women, age-standardized to the world population.2

Priorities, targets and actions in the plan to eliminate cervical cancer

The Action Plan calls for efforts to increase HPV vaccination uptake, implement HPV primary screening and improve follow-up of screening results through the following actions:

  • Target: By 2025, 90% of 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.
  • Action 1: Increase awareness and acceptability of the HPV vaccine.
  • Action 2: Increase vaccination uptake in school-based HPV vaccination programs.
  • Action 3: Improve measurement and reporting of vaccination coverage rates by school-based HPV vaccination programs to identify inequities and inform program improvements.
  • Target:
    • By 2030, 90% of eligible people have been screened with an HPV test.
    • By 2030, 90% of eligible people are up to date with cervical screening.
    • By 2030, at least 80% of eligible people in any identifiable group are up to date with cervical screening.
  • Action 1: Implement HPV primary screening within organized screening programs across Canada.
  • Action 2: Ensure equity in cervical screening participation.
  • Action 3: Implement HPV self-screening in cervical screening programs.
  • Action 4: Collect and report on aggregate data on cervical screening and using data for program improvement.
  • Target:
    • By 2030, 90% of all people with a positive HPV test should have a clear plan of appropriate follow-up designed and communicated to them within three months of the test that generated the positive result.
    • By 2030, 90% of people identified as being at elevated risk for significant cervical abnormalities have colposcopy in a timely manner.
    • By 2030, at least 90% of people in any identifiable group receive follow-up.
  • Action 1: Standardize timely and appropriate follow-up of screening results (positive HPV tests).
  • Action 2: Provide equitable access to and uptake of follow-up services for screening results.
  • Action 3: Collect and report aggregate data on patient follow-up and using it to inform program improvement.

Priorities and actions identified by First Nations, Inuit and Métis

First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners identified three Peoples-specific priorities and several actions to address the particular inequities First Nations, Inuit and Métis may experience due to the historic and ongoing impacts of colonization. These priorities must be embedded into any work related to improving human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates, implementing HPV primary screening and improving follow-up for people with a positive cervical screening result.

Actions identified by First Nations, Inuit and Métis:

  • Recognize and eliminate the impacts of racism within the health system.
  • Deliver culturally safe cervical cancer prevention and care.
  • Establish national guidelines to promote consistent cervical cancer care.
  • Provide health services closer to home and improve the journey for people who must travel to access cervical cancer prevention and care.

Actions identified by First Nations:

  • Develop cervical cancer prevention and care strategies based on priorities identified by First Nations communities and disparities faced by First Nations.
  • Improve communication and coordination of health coverage for First Nations.
  • Use respectful, gender- and two-spirit-inclusive language, and use inclusivity in cervical cancer prevention and care.
  • Acknowledge and respect traditional healing and cultural practices.

Actions identified by Inuit:

  • Implement Inuit-specific and equitable approaches to cervical cancer prevention and care, based on priorities identified by Inuit.
  • Improve communication and coordination of health coverage for Inuit and service providers.
  • Use respectful, gender-inclusive language, and use inclusivity in cervical cancer prevention and care.

Actions identified by Métis:

  • Implement Métis-specific and equitable approaches to cervical cancer prevention and care, based on priorities identified by Métis people.
  • Identify, implement and coordinate Métis-specific health benefits.
  • Use respectful, gender-inclusive language, and use inclusivity in cervical cancer prevention and care.

Actions identified by First Nations:

  • Identify First Nations-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data that is community-led and community-specific.
  • Ensure cervical cancer prevention and care data collection respects First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP® principles) and communities’ consent to data collection and sharing.
  • Increase First Nations access to health coverage data.
  • Create safe spaces for voluntary self-identification of First Nation status to collect First Nations-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data.
  • Use culturally appropriate standards for First Nations-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data collection, aggregation and linkages to other data sets.

Actions identified by Inuit:

  • Collect Inuit-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data that is accessible and linked to local communities and is in accordance with Inuit research and data principles (including data on school-based HPV vaccination uptake, cervical screening participation, screening results, HPV vaccination status, and colposcopy, pathology and treatment).
  • Improve systematic qualitative and quantitative data collection practices for gathering Inuit-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data.
  • Conduct Inuit-led research to support effective interventions to prevent, screen and treat cervical cancer.

Actions identified by Métis:

  • Collect Métis-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data that is accessible and linked to other data sets, and respects Métis research and data principles (such Manitoba Métis principles of ownership, control, access, and stewardship (OCAS principles)).
  • Create safe spaces for self-identification to effectively collect Métis-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data.
  • Use existing structures for Métis-specific cervical cancer prevention and care data collection.

Taking action on equity and reconciliation

Several First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners are leading efforts to address longstanding barriers and inequities and improve cervical cancer prevention and treatment outcomes.

Individuals from a variety of other equity-denied communities across Canada experience distinct barriers to accessing vaccination, screening and care, which often leads to poorer cervical cancer outcomes. This includes:

  • people living in rural or remote areas;3,4
  • people with low income;4
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals;5
  • people of certain races or ethnicities, such as women who identify as a visible minority, Indigenous or Black.6,7,8,9,10

There is very little data on the impact of race and ethnicity on cervical cancer outcomes in Canada because Canadian data registries do not routinely collect race and ethnicity data.10 Improvements in the safe collection and use of data on race and other social determinants of health are needed to identify, evaluate and address inequities. Ensuring high quality data is available to better understand existing disparities across jurisdictions is a key priority of the pan-Canadian Cancer Data Strategy.

Hear from public health nurse and researcher Keith King on the importance of inclusive efforts to eliminate cervical cancer.

Centering the patient perspective

People living with cancer, people with lived expertise and patient advocates, especially those from equity-denied communities, have invaluable insights to share. People who are directly affected can use their experience to highlight challenges and gaps in prevention and care and share what needs to be done differently. 

Together, we can achieve a world where cervical cancer is a thing of the past. Centering the patient perspective is not just about listening; it’s about truly hearing, understanding, and acting upon the voices of cervical cancer survivors and advocates. Their invaluable insights light the path forward, guiding us to address disparities and ensure equitable access to prevention and care for all.

– Augustina Amp, Patient Advisor, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer 

Alignment with the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control, 2019–2029 

Preventing cancer and identifying it early and accurately are essential to saving lives. They are key priorities of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control 2019–2029. Those same priorities are at the heart of the Action Plan. It was developed by the Partnership in close collaboration with a broad group of public health and cancer system partners, including the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Pan-Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Network, as well as First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners and people with lived experience. 

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 92% of cancers caused by HPV could be prevented by vaccine [Internet]. CDC Online Newsroom; 2019 [cited 2024 Feb 6]. Available from: https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p0822-cancer-prevented-vaccine.html.
  2. World Health Organization. Cervical cancer elimination initiative [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination-initiative
  3. Young TK, Kelly JJ, Friborg J, Soininen L, Wong KO. Cancer among circumpolar populations: an emerging public health concern. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2016 Jan 12;75:29787. doi: 10.3402/ijch.v75.29787.
  4. Statistics Canada. Canadian cancer registry. 2023 [Internet]. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada; 2018 [cited 2024 Jan 12].
  5. Comeau D, Johnson C, Bouhamdani Review of current 2SLGBTQIA+ inequities in the Canadian health care system. Front Public Health. 2023 Jul 18;11:1183284. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.
  6. Mazereeuw MV, Withrow DR, Nishri ED, Tjepkema M, Marrett LD. Cancer incidence among First Nations adults in Canada: follow-up of the 1991 Census Mortality Cohort (1992-2009). Can J Public Health. 2018 Dec;109(5-6):700-709. doi: 10.17269/s41997-018-0091-0.
  7. Mazereeuw MV, Withrow DR, Nishri ED, Tjepkema M, Marrett Cancer incidence and survival among Metis adults in Canada: results from the Canadian census follow-up cohort (1992-2009). CMAJ. 2018;190(11):e320-e6.
  8. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Inuit and cancer fact sheets [Internet]. Ottawa, ON: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; 2012 [cited 2024 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.itk.ca/inuit-cancer-fact-sheets.
  9. Simkin J, Smith L, van Niekerk D, Caird H, Dearden T, van der Hoek K, et al. Sociodemographic characteristics of women with invasive cervical cancer in British Columbia, 2004-2013: a descriptive study. CMAJ Open. 2021 Apr 22;9(2):E424-E432. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20200139. 
  10. Ezefie DA, Padmore G, Vaska M, Truong TH. Ensuring equitable access to cancer care for Black patients in Canada. CMAJ. 2022 Oct 24;194(41):E1416-E1419. doi: 1503/cmaj.212076.
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