The awards also recognise the contributions of individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa, as envisaged in the Constitution. Cervical cancer is the fourth-most common cancer globally in women - the most common being breast cancer, followed by lung cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer. Worldwide, over 600 000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed and over 300 000 deaths from cervical cancer recorded annually. But in South Africa, the statistics are shaped by inequity. Historically, cervical cancer was rendered a rare disease in northern and well-resourced countries after the widespread introduction of the Pap smear, a screening procedure for cervical cancer, said Denny.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 19, 2021 14:34 UTC