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Argentina Confronts Cervical Cancer Gaps as Provinces Restore HPV Testing

A network of more than 160 groups is urging a federal cancer plan to fix uneven access.

Overview

  • Doctors in Jujuy report early screening reaches only about 20% of women, far short of the roughly 80% coverage needed to curb disease.
  • Catamarca’s program estimates about 40 cervical cancer cases each year and has reintroduced the HPV test as the first step in diagnosis.
  • Health teams are expanding reach with self-sampling kits that women can use at home and with mobile visits that bring tests to remote towns.
  • The HPV vaccine is free for girls and boys from age 11 under the national schedule, yet provincial uptake remains low and many do not complete the course.
  • Argentina records roughly 4,500 to 4,700 new cases and about 2,500 deaths yearly, a burden that has prompted more than 160 organizations to push for a federal plan with a unified registry and faster access to diagnosis and treatment.