The Fight To End Cervical Cancer & Ethiopian Reality

Zebeaman Tibebu
Jun 4
4 min read

The Story

She Was Only 35.

Selam had always been a go-getter — the first in her family to wake before sunrise, the last to go to bed, working to care for children, home, and a small coffee shop in Addis Ababa. But then came the bleeding — slight at first, and then persistent. She attributed it to stress or maybe menopause too early.

What she did not know was that an unseen intruder had been growing inside of her: cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women in Ethiopia, and one that takes more than 5,000 Ethiopian women's lives every year.

But Selam's story does not have to be the fate of millions like her. For this killer, as opposed to so many others, can be prevented, treated, even eradicated.

The Enemy Within: What is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer starts in the cervix — the tube that connects the womb and the vagina. It develops when cells there begin to grow and divide uncontrollably due to chronic infection with a common virus: the human papillomavirus (HPV).

You’ve probably heard of HPV. In fact, almost everyone gets it at some point. But while most HPV infections clear on their own, some high-risk strains can linger and quietly damage cells — for years — eventually causing cancer.

Globally, over 660,000 women developed cervical cancer in 2022 and 350,000 died from it — nearly 1,000 women every day. In Ethiopia alone, over 7445 women develop it yearly, and 5,318 die — many in the prime of their lives, mothers, daughters, caregivers (based on 2020 estimate).

Symptoms: The Whisper Before the Storm

Cervical cancer does not scream — it whispers.

Most women in the early stages feel nothing. But as cancer advances, it speaks through symptoms:

Unusual vaginal bleeding (during sex, between periods, or following menopause)
Smelly or watery discharge
Pain during sexual intercourse
Pelvic or back pain
Swollen legs
Loss of weight and weakness

These are symptoms that most people overlook. But they matter. Because when they're noticed, cancer may already be in its advanced stages.

The Good News? It's Beatable.

Cervical cancer is one of the only fully preventable cancers. The secrets? Vaccination. Screening. Treatment. Let's dissect it.

HPV Vaccination: A Shield for the Next Generation

The HPV vaccine, administered prior to girls becoming sexually active, stops cervical cancer in its tracks up to 90% of the time. And the good news? A single dose protects for life.

WHO's 2030 Target:

90% of girls vaccinated by age 15
70% of women tested by 35 and 45 years
90% of treated women if tested positive

In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health immunized girls with two doses from 2018. But in 2024, it dramatically changed — adopting WHO's revised single-dose recommendation and expanding coverage among girls 9–14 years.

The dividend? Over 6.8 million girls immunized in a single campaign, bringing the national total to over 13 million protected girls — an enormous public health achievement.

2. Screening: Discovering Trouble Before It Spreads

Vaccination is not sufficient. For women adults who may be already exposed, screening is crucial.

Ethiopia uses Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) — an inexpensive method where vinegar is painted on the cervix and abnormal changes are looked for by nurses. It's fast, inexpensive, and available in most health centers.

Objective: Screen 1 million women per year.

Already, more than 1.6 million Ethiopian women have been screened at least once in a lifetime — a start, but far short of the goal. More needs to be done to reach rural women, where access is more difficult and stigma is greater.

3. Treating the Precancer, Saving the Future

If lesions are caught early enough, they can be destroyed in the field using cryotherapy or heat ablation — no surgery, no hospital stay.

For more advanced cases, Ethiopia is increasing the availability of chemotherapy and surgery at regional referral hospitals, though supplies remain tight.

Challenges on the Battlefront

Despite advances, there are challenges:

Stigma and misinformation about pelvic exams and HPV
Limited awareness in rural communities
Lack of trained health professionals, especially in rural areas
Infrastructure gaps for treatment services

But maybe the greatest barrier? Silence.

Too many women still don't know. And too many men aren't talking about it either — even though cervical cancer is a men's issue as well, considering HPV is a sexually transmitted infection.

What Can You Do?

💉Get your daughters (and sons) vaccinated

👩‍⚕️Encourage sisters, mothers, wives to screen

📣 Speak out — break the silence that fuels stigma

🫂Unite with survivors and families

🧠 Learn and teach your community

The Dream: Elimination is Possible

WHO launched the world's first-ever global plan to eliminate a cancer. And Ethiopia is breaking the mold — with vaccines, screening, policy, and people like you.

Cervical cancer will one day be something we talk about, not a sentence we live. Selam's story needn't be repeated.