Preventing cervical cancer in South Africa

Cancer of the cervix is a serious burden on health in general and more specific on reproductive health of women world-wide, despite the fact that it is preventable. Cervical cancer globally is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among adult women. There were about 500,000 new cases and more than 250,000 deaths recorded as a result of this preventable disease in 2009 (WHO/ICO Information centre on HPV and Cervical Cancer, 2009). Early detection and treatment of cervical cancer is a proven cost-effective control strategy (Blair and Casas, 2009; Hughes, 2009).