On October 18, the National Health Commission (NHC) held a press conference where Shen Haiping, the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department, announced that the free HPV vaccination policy has currently reached approximately 40% of eligible girls nationwide.
Shen elaborated on the efforts made in recent years to combat cervical cancer through a strategic three-tier prevention approach. This includes a comprehensive set of measures focused on prevention, early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment.
First, there has been a significant push to provide HPV vaccinations for girls of the appropriate age, emphasizing primary prevention of cervical cancer. Following the strategy of advancing overall efforts while targeting breakthroughs, local governments have been encouraged to pilot innovative practices. As of 2021, eleven provinces—including Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Chongqing, Tibet, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, and Guangxi—as well as cities like Zhengzhou, Ordos, and Chengdu, have integrated free HPV vaccinations into their local government initiatives. By utilizing funding through public service purchases and fixed subsidies, these regions have been able to offer free HPV vaccination services to girls aged 13-14. To date, this policy has reached around 40% of eligible girls across the country.
Second, the NHC has ramped up cervical cancer screening services for women, thereby enhancing secondary prevention measures. Local health authorities, primarily at the county level, have expanded accessibility to cervical cancer screenings. They have set up a network of health facilities, including township clinics, community health service centers, and village health rooms, to improve screening rates. Additionally, local governments have tailored services to suit their communities, promptly sharing information on screening locations, implementing staggered appointment systems, and using mobile service vehicles to bring screenings closer to women in rural and community settings. As a result, the free cervical cancer screening initiative has now reached 2,765 counties across the nation, with a total of 280 million screenings conducted, leading to the detection of 902,000 cases of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. This initiative greatly supports early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer.
Lastly, the NHC is aligning clinical treatment for cervical cancer with structured tertiary prevention. Following improvements in screening rates, there has been a focused effort to ensure that the follow-up treatments for screened patients are seamlessly connected. A green channel for referrals has been established, allowing screening facilities to promptly refer women with abnormal results to diagnosis and treatment institutions. This ensures timely and appropriate care for those identified during screenings. Moreover, the health insurance system has incorporated cervical cancer treatments into its basic coverage and critical illness insurance, increasing the reimbursement rates for patients and alleviating their financial burden. In collaboration with women’s federations, health authorities have provided medical assistance to 275,000 economically disadvantaged cervical cancer patients.
This comprehensive approach illustrates the NHC’s commitment to significantly reducing the burden of cervical cancer through prevention, early detection, and accessible treatment.
