Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention Receives $50 Million Gift From Bill and Melinda Gates

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $50 million to the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention for a major new effort to prevent cervical cancer worldwide. The five-year grant will support programs to clarify, promote and implement strategies for preventing cervical cancer in developing countries.

The Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention is made up of five international organizations: AVSC International, IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), JHPIEGO Corporation, PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), and PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health). Together, these organizations work extensively on various programs of cervical cancer prevention in geographic locations where cervical cancer is most common. As innovative leaders in the field, the collaboration of the Alliance organizations will provide an opportunity to achieve results more rapidly and effectively.

Cervical cancer kills more than 200,000 women annually worldwide and disproportionately affects the poorest, most vulnerable women in many parts of the world. Unlike many other health problems, early identification and treatment of precancerous conditions can prevent cervical cancer. As the leading cancer killer among women in the majority of developing countries, cervical cancer generally strikes women in midlife when they have completed their child-bearing and are playing an increasingly important economic and social role in their families and communities.

The Alliance's five-year plan will assess technologies and approaches for screening for and treating precancerous cervical lesions, evaluate the safety and cost effectiveness of alternative service delivery systems, encourage community involvement in cervical cancer prevention programs, and encourage advocacy to heighten awareness of the problem and institute appropriate prevention strategies. Research and program projects will be undertaken in several countries, including India, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, South Africa, Ecuador, Venezuela and Central America.

"The Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention is grateful for Bill and Melinda Gates' commitment to improving health of women worldwide," said the Alliance Steering Committee. "The Gateses' support to ensure that women in developing countries have equitable access to cervical cancer prevention in their communities provides an unprecedented opportunity to improve women's health." Visit The Alliance for Cervical Cancer prevention on the web.