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GLOBAL PLAN TO ELIMINATE CERVICAL CANCER The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed a strategy for the global elimination of cervical cancer and has supported the implementation of a national cervical cancer plan. The strategy, Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem, is designed to advance women’s health, strengthen global health systems and address inequities between and within countries to help eliminate cervical cancer.
“Globally, there are over 300,000 deaths from cervical cancer each year, and over 90% of these deaths worldwide occur in low and middle-income countries,” Adjunct Professor Karen Canfell, Chair of Cancer Council’s Screening and Immunisation Committee explained.
The elimination resolution was led by the Australian government and underpinned by key Australian innovations that have positioned Australia to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer.
“In work Cancer Council has done to support WHO’s planning, our team and our collaborators have found that as many as 74 million cases could be averted and 62 million lives could be saved if 78 of the poorest countries in the world are able to rapidly scale up HPV vaccination, cervical screening and access to cancer treatment services.
These include the initial development of the HPV vaccine by Professor Ian Frazer, Dr Jian Zhao and collaborators at the University of Queensland, in addition to Australia’s world-first implementation of HPV vaccinations and complementary HPV-based cervical screening.
“The target is ambitious but achievable. We have the technology to eliminate cervical cancer, and the peer-reviewed evidence to show it is feasible. We now need the political will in all countries to make it a reality,” she said.
AFRICA DECLARED WILD POLIO FREE Africa has been proclaimed wild polio free after four years without a case.
The Africa Region is part of the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions, five of which represent over 90% of the world’s population and are now polio free. Only two countries worldwide continue to see wild poliovirus transmission- Pakistan and Afghanistan. As the world moves closer to achieving global polio eradication, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative congratulated the national governments of the 47 countries in the WHO African Region for today’s achievement.
ACT’s fifth nurse-led walk-in centre open for business Canberra has recently opened its fifth nurse-led walk-in centre.
Located in Canberra’s inner north, the clinic is run by nurses and nurse practitioners who provide treatment for minor injuries and illnesses. ACT’s other nurse-led walk in centres are situated in Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, West Belconnen, and Gungahlin.
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The centres, which have been running since 2014, have been highly successful, significantly reducing the number of presentations at Emergency Departments. To date, the centres have treated more than 282,000 patients and presentations continue to grow year on year with more than 67,000 in 2019. To learn more about Canberra’s nurse-led walk in centres, read ANMJ’s feature on how nurse-led models of care are reshaping healthcare on page 10.
“Ending wild poliovirus in Africa is one of the greatest public health achievements of our time and provides powerful inspiration for all of us to finish the job of eradicating polio globally,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I thank and congratulate the governments, health workers, community volunteers, traditional and religious leaders and parents across the region who have worked together to kick wild polio out of Africa.”
