Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with around 660 000 new cases and around 350 000 deaths in 2022.
The highest rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality are in low- and middle-income countries like Tanzania. This reflects major inequities driven by lack of access to national HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment services and social and economic determinants. The Protect Her is a first-ever youth-lead initiative to eliminate cervical cancer in Tanzania. The MLINDE (Protect Her) Campaign employs the WHO's Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, by promoting community awareness on importance of HPV vaccination, regular screening and early treatment. Successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050.