Cervical cancer and HPV vaccination: Knowledge and attitudes of adult women in Lusaka, Zambia.

Abstract

Of the estimated 525,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 275,000 deaths from cervical cancer in 2008, over 85% were in developing countries. Cervical cancer accounts for over 2.7 million years of life lost among women between the ages of 25 and 64 worldwide, 2.4 million of which occur in resource poor countries. Over 20% of the annual deaths from cervical cancer occur in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Zambia, where it is the most common cause of cancer death among women [1]. Of the women in developing countries who die of cervical cancer, fewer than 5% have ever had a screening exam for the disease.