GHP has signed an agreement with Nicaragua’s Ministry of Health to develop a lifesaving program for the prevention, screening and treatment of cervical cancer. This preventable disease, which is rare in developed countries, is a leading cause of death among Nicaraguan women aged 30-55. This summer, GHP and the Global Coalition Against Cervical Cancer (GC3) sponsored the first international symposium to tackle cervical cancer in Nicaragua, with more than 100 public health experts from the United States, Latin and South America participating. This Managua conference is the first step in what will become a nationwide effort to eradicate cervical cancer.

As GHP Executive Director Bob Schwartz told the delegates, “As all of you know, cervical cancer is a curable disease if detected early. But for all too many women who lack access to early detection, cervical cancer is a death sentence. It is one of the leading causes of death among women 30-55 years of age in Nicaragua and throughout the developing world. We intend to change this, starting today, right here in this room.”