Ilocos Norte leads the way in cervical cancer prevention
Ilocos Norte has become the first province in the Philippines to achieve over 90% HPV vaccination coverage for girls aged nine to 14. This public health milestone is the result of a coordinated effort between local government, schools, and health agencies to combat cervical cancer.
Why it matters
High vaccination rates in Ilocos Norte serve as a successful model for national cervical cancer prevention strategies in the Philippines.
If there's one type of cancer that can largely be prevented, it's cervical cancer. Yet it continues to threaten the lives of women, particularly where access to vaccination, screening and timely treatment remains a challenge.
In 2022, the Philippines recorded an estimated 8,549 new cases of cervical cancer and 4,380 deaths - equivalent to about 12 deaths a day. These figures underscore the need to strengthen prevention efforts, particularly HPV vaccination and regular screening.
In Ilocos Norte, those efforts are gaining ground. The province has become the first in the Philippines to surpass the 90% human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage benchmark, demonstrating how sustained public health efforts can help protect more Filipinos from cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.
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