Keynote speech at the Second Cervical Cancer Elimination Forum

Hon Ministers, distinguished colleagues, partners, and friends, Salamat pagi and good morning.

It is a profound privilege to be with you today at this pivotal moment in our shared journey to eliminate cervical cancer - a vision that is no longer a dream, but a real and reachable goal.

Let me begin by expressing heartfelt thanks to our hosts, Minister Budi and the Government of Indonesia, for bringing us together in solidarity and shared purpose.

Allow me again to warmly welcome Indonesia to the WHO Western Pacific Region - following its recent reassignment from the South-East Asia Region. And I want to remind Indonesia, we are stronger with you among us.

Every year, cervical cancer steals the life of more than 350,000 women around the world.

These are not just numbers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. The very heart of our families and communities.

And yet, the burden of cervical cancer falls heaviest on women in low and middle- income countries, where poverty and inequity deepen the pain.

I have seen this pain up close - not just as a policymaker, but as a clinician. I will never forget a young mother I met during a ward round.

She had Stage 4 cervical cancer. She had a young family. And the saddest thing, standing there wanting to help, but there was nothing more we could do.

That moment - watching her suffer, knowing her death was preventable, was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my career. It still is.

No woman should have to endure that. No family should have to face that kind of loss, this suffering is preventable.

We have the tools. A safe and effective HPV vaccine. Reliable screening. Curative treatment when caught early. We are not waiting on science - we are waiting on action.

We can turn pain into prevention, and loss into life. Let's act with urgency, compassion and resolve.

The true measure of our humanity is how we respond when we have the power to prevent suffering and choose to use it.

A few years ago, WHO issued a powerful call to eliminate cervical cancer. As my brother, DG Dr Tedros, reminded us, we cannot accept this injustice when we already have the tools to end it. Your presence here today shows the world that we are ready to act.

WHO's Global Strategy gives us a clear path:

Vaccinate 90% of girls by age 15.

Screen 70% of women with high-performance test.

Treat 90% of those diagnosed with pre-cancer or cancer.

Some countries are already meeting these targets. Others are on their way. And some are just beginning. But this is not just an ambition: it is achievable.

Indonesia, for example, has stepped forward with a bold commitment: as we heard from Minister Budi last night, a single dose HPV vaccination schedule - a pledge to exceed global screening targets and a plan to reach the 90-70-90 goals ahead of schedule. This is leadership in action, and it deserves our applause. I thank the Government and Minister Budi for his action.

A tale of two realities

In our Western Pacific Region, we see two very different stories.

Australia is on track to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer.

Yet many of its neighbors still face some of the highest rates of incidence and mortality globally.

This contrast is not just stark; it is unjust.

The burden and the disparity

Our Region spans 38 countries and areas, from high-income nations to small island states.

Nearly 90% are low or middle income.

Together, we carry a quarter of the global burden of cervical cancer. In 2020 alone, 145,700 women in our Region were diagnosed. Nearly half of those diagnosed died.

What works-and what's missing

We know what works. But for many, these life-saving interventions remain out of reach.

Health systems are stretched.

Screening is fragmented.

Treatment is often inaccessible due to geography, cost or workforce shortages.

Progress and promise in the Pacific

Still, there is hope.

Fiji and Vanuatu have integrated HPV vaccination into their national immunization schedules.

Samoa and Tonga are piloting screen-and-treat programs using self-collected samples.

Regional collaboration is growing-with shared training and plans for sub-regional treatment hubs.

When I served as Minister of Health in Tonga, we introduced the HPV vaccine in 2022.

The following year, we adopted WHO's single-dose schedule.

It was a game-changer.

We reached more girls, more efficiently, with fewer resources.

I saw firsthand how this simple shift, saved lives and strengthened our health system.

Today, countries like the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Solomon Islands are doing the same-with support from partners like Gavi and UNICEF.

A Regional Vision for Elimination

To build on this momentum, WHO in the Western Pacific - an office I am proud to lead - launched a bold Strategic Framework for 2023 to 2030, aligned with the global 90-70-90 targets.

We are already seeing results.

Papua New Guinea has launched HPV vaccination in the Western Highlands.

Viet Nam is preparing for national rollout by 2026.

And WHO is helping countries like Mongolia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu access essential equipment and training.

The Road Ahead

All of this is encouraging.

But let's be clear: the road ahead is long.

Our Region's diversity demands people-centered, culturally sensitive approaches.

It requires political will, sustainable financing, and unwavering commitment.

Health is a political choice. And today, I appeal directly to Governments and policymakers, partners: Choose to act. Choose to Invest. Choose to save lives.

There are many reasons to care about eliminating cervical cancer.

But at its heart, this movement is about justice. It's about ensuring that every girl and every woman, regardless of where she lives or what she earns, has access to basic, lifesaving care.

As we build these services, we are not just preventing cancer, we are strengthening the bond between women and the health system.

We are breaking down barriers. We are dismantling stigma. We are advancing the broader agenda for women's health.

Let us act now-so that every woman, everywhere, can live a healthy, dignified life.

And let us make history - together - by eliminating a cancer for the first time - Cervical Cancer.

In my homeland Tonga, we have a saying - "Pikipiki hama kae vaevae manava". It means tying our canoes together to move faster and stronger across the ocean.

Let us tie our canoes together - governments, partners, donors and communities - and paddle forward with purpose.

The future depends on what we do now.

History will judge us not by the tools we had, but by whether we used them to save lives when we had the chance.

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To all the fathers, husbands, and brothers here today:

We owe it to the women in our lives-our wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters-to stand up and act.

Eliminating cervical cancer is not just a women's issue. It's a family issue. It's a community issue. And it's a human issue.

When we prioritize women's health, we protect the very foundation of our societies. We honor the strength of the women who raise us, support us, and walk beside us.

Let us not wait for another mother to be lost, another daughter to suffer, or another family to grieve-when we have the power to prevent it.

"The true measure of our love is not in what we say, but in what we do to protect those we hold dear."

Let's act-together-for the women we love, and the future they deserve.

Terima Kasih, Thank you.