Belize Cancer Society Calls for Stronger Collaboration in Fight Against Cervical Cancer

The Belize Cancer Society is calling for greater collaboration between and among authorities, and the public in the fight against cervical cancer. President of the Cancer Society, Laura Tucker Longsworth made the appeal during her appearance on our Morning Show today. Longsworth says that there is a global strategy in place to address cervical cancer, but that local efforts in terms of awareness and screening need to be improved.  

Longsworth says that vaccination against the human papillomavirus is one of the main focuses of the strategy, but there are some who are hesitant due to concerns about vaccines that surfaced during the pandemic. She said that the HPV vaccine is administered to girls and boys at the primary school level and that records have not shown any major adverse reactions.

The World Health Organization says that over three hundred and forty thousand women died of cervical cancer in 2020. Health authorities emphasize that early detection through routine screening greatly increases a patient’s chance of survival.