Overview
- Public health agencies marked Thursday’s World Day for cervical cancer prevention with expanded drives in Peru, Argentina’s Mendoza province, and Mexico’s Baja California to boost free testing and vaccination.
- Mendoza launched a mass program that uses HPV tests for women 30 to 65, aims for digital results via the Mendoza x Mí app, and sets a four‑year goal to reach the WHO elimination threshold of 4 cases per 100,000 women.
- Peru kept a nationwide March campaign offering free screening by age group, as health leaders warned of 4,800 to 5,000 cases and about 2,500 deaths a year with many diagnoses at advanced stages that are harder to treat.
- Baja California reported 1,132 free cervical cancer tests so far in 2026, widened eligibility to women 30 to 64, and continued mobile units and public modules to reach people who live far from clinics.
- Doctors stressed that persistent HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers, molecular HPV tests detect disease far better than Pap smears and can space follow‑ups to five years after a negative result, and WHO’s 90‑70‑90 goals guide these push efforts.