The Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias is preparing to host, between March 5 and 7, the first World Forum for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, a highly relevant event that will bring together more than 300 health leaders and experts. , as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This event, which will be a global platform, seeks to consolidate the commitments of countries in the fight against cervical cancer, a disease that claims the life of a woman every two minutes in the world, as detailed by the Colombian Foreign Ministry in a statement. .
The forum will have the participation of representatives of Governments, international organizations, academia and civil society. Among the prominent participants is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, José Manuel Albares.
The initiative has the support and collaboration of the governments of Colombia and Spain, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other international organizations. . Its objective is to promote a global commitment to eliminate cervical cancer and promote concrete actions in countries.
According to data provided by the Colombian Foreign Ministry, in 2022, 348,000 women died worldwide due to this disease, and 90% of them came from low- and middle-income countries. They warn that if course is not changed, deaths from cervical cancer are expected to reach 410,000 annually by 2030.
The Colombian Government considers it imperative to advance in the elimination of this disease that affects millions of girls and women. “For this reason, we are pleased to host the first World Forum for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer,” said the Foreign Ministry.
The activity will provide an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and knowledge at a global level, with the aim of eliminating barriers to care, increasing vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and facilitating development in the fight against this type of cancer. .
Prominent personalities will also participate in the forum, such as the director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Antón Leis; the Ministers of Health of Colombia, Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo, and Malawi, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, as well as the director of the WHO Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, Bente Mikkelsen.