Over 12,000 women screened for cervical cancer in 2024

– as Guyana accelerates national elimination plan

The Ministry of Health has made significant strides in its fight against cervical cancer, screening more than 12,400 women in the latter half of 2024, as part of a national plan aligned with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.
The Ministry’s screening initiative, launched in mid-2024 is focused on identifying high-risk strains of the Human papillomavirus (HPV), especially types 16 and 18, to detect women at higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
With cervical cancer steadily rising in Guyana and remaining one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women, Director of the Ministry’s Chronic Disease Unit, Dr Lachmie Lall explained that the urgency to detect and treat it early has never been more pressing.
“We did an analysis of our population and roughly about 211,000 women between the ages of 21 to 65 are eligible for an HPV test”.

“So apart from having the test, the test is the first step in screening for cervical cancer. And we want every woman between the age of 21 to 65 to get this test. Once that is done, based on the results that we see, if it’s positive, we then go on to do a vaginal examination to see if there are changes at the level of the amount of the cervix. If there are no changes, then we encourage the women to get tested again in about two to five years. For those women who are positive and do see changes on the cervix, right there we can discuss what her options are, which usually would be cryotherapy, where we freeze the cells at the level of cervix, and we excise those, we take them out,” the Director said.
According to Dr Lall, the response from the public has been encouraging, with many women showing up for testing, especially towards the end of the year. As a result, the Ministry has extended the programme into 2025, aiming to reach more women and improve understanding of HPV prevalence and cervical cancer risk.
To expand access, the Ministry has increased the number of labs providing HPV tests from five to eight, and continued its voucher programme, which subsidises the test at a cost of $8,000, through both public and private healthcare providers.
“We just want to let the public know that even though you might see a voucher with a date from last year, once you have that voucher and you did not use up that voucher, it is still valid for this year. You can still go to any of the facilities listed on the back, and you can get your HPV test done. Yes, and I know that this voucher is valued at $8,000”.
“What they will do is do a simple vaginal examination with the use of a speculum. And it’s a cotton swab that’s inserted into the vagina. They take a simple sample from around the mouth of the cervix. It does not involve any kind of pinching, no insertions of needles, nothing like that. Very simple procedure. Very pain-free procedure as well. So I don’t think women have anything to fear,” she explained.
This nationwide screening effort is part of Guyana’s broader strategy to meet WHO’s 2030 cervical cancer elimination targets, which include ensuring that 90 per cent of young girls are vaccinated against HPV by age 15, 70 per cent of women are screened with a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 45, and 90 per cent of women with precancerous or cancerous lesions are receiving appropriate treatment.
In the Americas, cervical cancer claims nearly 38,000 women each year, with mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean four times higher than in the United States (US) and Canada. By bolstering its screening and vaccination programmes, Guyana is taking a firm step toward reversing this trend and ensuring a healthier future for its women.