Eliminating cervical cancer in Canada

What can Canada do to eliminate cervical cancer?

Canada needs to act now to eliminate cervical cancer

Canada can eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by expanding access to the publicly funded human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and shifting from Pap testing to HPV testing for cervical screening.

Significant efforts toward implementing the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Canada, 2020–2030 (Action Plan) are underway across the country. However, with cervical cancer on the rise in Canada, urgent action is needed to move toward the Action Plan’s priorities and targets.

Recommended strategies to increase momentum toward eliminating this cancer for everyone in Canada:

• Foster trusting and respectful, reciprocal relationships with equity-denied groups to build community capacity and co-design innovative and culturally safe solutions that will increase access to HPV vaccination, screening and follow-up. Adopting a “once eligible, always eligible” policy for HPV vaccination and introducing HPV self-screening, where a person can collect the sample themselves in their preferred setting, are being planned with equity-denied groups as key solutions to improve access.
• Enhance the collection and reporting of culturally safe data to identify and better understand inequities, guide implementation efforts and show progress toward elimination.
• Share information, resources and capacity that supports the spread of effective policies, best practices and interventions that can be adapted to the needs of communities.