Ethiopia has successfully concluded a landmark month-long cervical cancer screening and treatment campaign across six regions, surpassing nearly all targets set just 30 days earlier. The initiative, launched on 7 November 2025 with support from the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), aimed to screen 267,662 women aged 30–49, including women living with HIV aged 15–49. By the campaign’s end, 275,607 women had been screened, exceeding the target by 103%. Among them, 9,882 women were diagnosed with precancerous lesions, and nearly 80%, or approximately 7,836 women, received same-day treatment using cryotherapy, thermal ablation, or LEEP, demonstrating the scalability of the “see-and-treat” model in Ethiopia.
Community engagement played a crucial role in the campaign’s success. Over 1,036,222 people were reached through awareness and advocacy sessions, with 637,149 women directly mobilized through local outreach. Health facilities, outreach sites, religious centers, workplaces, and markets were transformed into screening and education hubs, supported by health extension workers, women’s groups, and community leaders. The campaign’s integration of cervical and breast cancer awareness initiatives strengthened referral pathways and reinforced public commitment to tackling the two leading cancers affecting Ethiopian women.
At the closing ceremony held at Nifas Silk Lafto Sub-city Woreda 12 Health Center, national and international partners, including H.E. Dr Dereje Duguma, Prof. Francis Chisaka Kasolo, and AECID representatives, hailed the campaign as a national milestone in women’s health. Prof. Kasolo emphasized that the campaign was a proof of concept, demonstrating Ethiopia’s capacity, partnerships, and community trust to eliminate cervical cancer. He credited the Ministry of Health’s leadership, AECID’s catalytic funding, and the dedication of thousands of health workers for delivering results at scale.
The campaign also introduced innovations and tools that will be institutionalized for long-term impact. Enhanced registers and digital reporting platforms, along with cryotherapy and thermal ablation devices, will be integrated into routine health systems. Follow-up and recall mechanisms will be strengthened, and cervical cancer screening and treatment services will be fully embedded within primary health care and the Health Extension Program to ensure sustainable national coverage.
Looking forward, Ethiopia, WHO, AECID, and partners have committed to scaling up HPV testing and vaccination, expanding screening sites, and working toward screening at least 2.6 million women annually to meet the global 90–70–90 cervical cancer elimination targets by 2030. The campaign not only concluded a successful initiative but also marked a significant step toward a cervical cancer-free future for Ethiopia.
