Jakarta, 15 November 2024 – Ahead of the 17 November Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) commend the Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH) for its commitment to eliminate cervical cancer, marked by the 2023 national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine rollout and the shift to HPV DNA testing. The UN agencies, which supported the country’s first National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan (NCCEP) 2023–2030, will continue to help implement the Plan through primary health care programmes, hospital partnerships and the introduction of evidence-based, cost-effective innovations.
Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. In 2022 an estimated 660 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide. About 350 000 women died from the disease. Almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked with HPV infection.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indonesian women, with about 36 000 new cases and 21 000 deaths annually. Indonesia’s 2023 decision to expand HPV vaccine access to girls in grades 5 and 6 – in alignment with the NCCEP – marks a major step forward in meeting the targets of the WHO Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination as a public health problem, set for 2030.
The global targets require:
- 90% of girls to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15
- 70% of women to be screened with a high-performance test by ages 35 and 45
- 90% of women with pre-cancer to receive treatment and 90% of women with invasive cancer to be managed.
WHO and UNFPA congratulate Indonesia for adopting these targets nationally. To accelerate progress, WHO stands ready to support Indonesia to adopt a streamlined, single-dose HPV vaccine schedule, which offers comparable protection to the current two-dose schedule, reduces costs and reaches more girls and women faster.
“Indonesia’s national HPV vaccine rollout represents a significant commitment to public health and gender equity,” said Dr N. Paranietharan, WHO Representative to Indonesia. “The single-dose schedule will bring greater efficiency, lower costs and accelerate protection for Indonesian girls and women, advancing our shared goal of eliminating cervical cancer.”
Globally, 141 countries have integrated the HPV vaccine into their routine immunization programmes, with 59 adopting a single-dose policy, including South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The recommendation for single-dose scheduling was initially made in April 2022, by WHO’s independent expert advisory group, SAGE.
Expanding equitable access to screening and treatment
Concurrently, WHO and UNFPA commend Indonesia’s efforts to increase equitable access to cancer screening and treatment services that are responsive to women's specific needs. This is vital to improve cervical cancer early detection and treatment success rates and must continue to be scaled up. Currently, about 70% of cervical cancers in Indonesia are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment is less effective.
By repurposing existing RT-PCR systems from the COVID-19 response, and by expanding the use of GeneXpert machines for HPV testing, MoH is ensuring more Indonesian women can access early and effective diagnosis and treatment. WHO will continue to help adapt national service standards and protocols in line with the latest evidence-based guidance.
As part of these efforts, UNFPA will continue to provide vital support to increase access to quality primary care, which is critical for cervical cancer screening. "UNFPA Indonesia is dedicated to supporting midwives in Indonesia to reach international standards,” said Hassan Mohtashami, UNFPA Indonesia Representative. “By providing training and continuing professional development of this important workforce, we empower these healthcare providers to detect and prevent cervical cancer, ultimately saving the lives of Indonesian women."
Indonesia’s forthcoming comprehensive National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) 2024–2034 will complement and support the 2023 National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan, particularly in strengthening service delivery, education and training among health workers, which is critical to accelerate progress against all cancers, including cervical cancer.
The NCCP is informed by Indonesia’s third Integrated Mission of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (imPACT) review, which was conducted in 2024 with support from WHO, the International Agency for Atomic Energy and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
“Where there’s a will, there’s often a way forward – and with cervical cancer, we have both,” said Dr Paranietharan. “Together, WHO and its partners are committed to support Indonesia to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, in our time, on our watch.”