PAHO collaborates in helping eliminate Cervical Cancer in SVG

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with this country’s Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) concluded a week long mission to St Vincent and the Grenadines in June, to advance the ‘Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative’. The June 10-14, 2025 mission included visits to several health facilities and discussion with health practitioners and other stakeholders, among other things. Cervical Cancer has been identified as a leading cause of death among the female population of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

A recent PAHO release states that the mission focused on assessing and supporting the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the primary method for cervical cancer screening.

This effort is part of broader regional and global commitments under PAHO’s ‘Plan of Action for Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control 2018-2039’, and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ‘Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem’.

The PAHO-led delegation was spearheaded by Dr Mauricio Maza, Regional Advisor for Cancer Prevention and Control, and Dr Sara Benitez-Majano, PAHO Consultant on Cancer. They were joined by a team of specialists from the University of Miami, a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, including Dr Erin Kobetz-Kerman, Dr Matthew Schlumbrecht, Dr Antonia Pryor-Leavitt, Dr Patricia Paule Jeudin and Corrine Ferrari.

The mission was facilitated by the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean countries in close partnership with the MOHWE, and in consultation with national stakeholders across the health system and wider community in SVG.

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in St Vincent and the Grenadines, accounting for approximately 12.7% of all cancers in 2023. Despite the introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2017, uptake remains low, and access to high-performance screening technologies and treatment services is limited. The mission was designed to address these challenges through:

Assessing all three pillars of the cervical cancer initiative: HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment services.

Identifying opportunities and gaps for introducing HPV DNA testing.

Training plans for healthcare providers in sample collection and treatment procedures such as colposcopy and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).

Enhancing data collection systems for tracking HPV-related services.

Developing a phased roadmap for implementation and a national strategy for the elimination of cervical cancer.

The team visited seven healthcare facilities, including the Georgetown Health Centre, Stubbs and Buccament Bay Polyclinics, Levi Latham Health Centre, Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, and the Oncology Unit at the Modern Medical Complex, Georgetown. These visits focused on evaluating infrastructure and readiness for HPV screening and treatment and gathering feedback from staff.

Technical consultations and stakeholder discussions were held with the MOHWE executive and technical leadership; laboratory and pathology teams; data and surveillance officers; media and civil society groups; healthcare providers (public and private sectors); and community members, including youth and women’s groups.

A special outreach session was also held in Bequia to extend the dialogue beyond the mainland.

PAHO said in its release that the mission marked a significant step forward for St Vincent and the Grenadines in its cervical cancer elimination journey, and that the collaboration between PAHO, the MOHWE, and the University of Miami sets the stage for improved service delivery and stronger health system responses rooted in equity, evidence, and sustainability.

PAHO has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting SVG and all Caribbean countries as they work to eliminate cervical cancer, a preventable and treatable disease as a public health threat.