Nigeria is among 12 Commonwealth countries featured in a new compendium of case studies on cervical cancer elimination, launched yesterday by the Commonwealth Secretariat at the 2026 inaugural Commonwealth Health Coordination Forum in Geneva.
The report highlights Nigeria's progress, particularly the high-level political leadership demonstrated by launching a nationwide single-dose HPV vaccination campaign in October 2023, led by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu. By early 2026, approximately 17 million girls had been vaccinated.
Nigeria's Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziak Adekunle Salako, was represented at the meeting by the Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Aliyu Malami. The report was presented to health ministers, global health leaders, and development partners gathered at the forum to discuss solutions to one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in the Commonwealth.
The compendium features case studies outlining how the 12 Commonwealth countries are advancing efforts to eliminate cervical cancer through vaccination, screening, treatment, and care at a time of tightening financial conditions and evolving health disparities. Other key interventions include how HPV-based screening, digital systems, and phased implementation can improve coverage and programme coordination in small island settings.
In a video message, the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, said: “Guyana applauds the Commonwealth for leading the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), especially the bold, necessary goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2050.”
Alongside the compendium, a cervical cancer advocacy toolkit was presented to support First Ladies, Spouses, and Partners of Heads of Government in raising awareness of the disease in their countries. In her foreword to the toolkit, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, noted the importance of equipping advocates to speak effectively and act decisively through leadership, collaboration, innovation, and sustained investment.
She said: “First Ladies have a unique capacity to mobilise public attention, influence national dialogue, and inspire action on issues of profound social importance. This toolkit has been developed to support First Ladies, Spouses and partners of Heads of Government in leading informed, strategic, and impactful advocacy for cervical cancer elimination across Commonwealth countries. By placing women’s health, equity, and dignity at the centre of national priorities, we can accelerate progress towards a future where no woman dies from a preventable disease.”
In his opening remark, the Chair of the forum, H.E. Leslie Ramsammy, former Guyana Minister of Health and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said: “Our purpose today is to identify where Commonwealth co-operation can add practical value. This includes strengthening national cancer control plans, improving early detection and diagnosis, expanding access to treatment and palliative care, and improving data systems for better planning and accountability.”
During the session on financing cancer care, co-chaired by the Director General/CEO of NICRAT, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Usman Malami Aliyu, participants shared practical approaches to mobilising and using domestic resources. They emphasised the need to safeguard essential cancer services within Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as fiscal space tightens and external financing becomes less reliable.
