By Susan Donlon, Communications team, National Screening Service
Today, 17 November 2025, marks the first official World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day. This is a global moment to recognise that cervical cancer can be prevented, and that with the right action, it can become a rare disease in every community.
One year ago today, Ireland launched its Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2025-2030, setting out how we will reach our target to make cervical cancer rare by 2040. Since then, partners across the health service, community organisations and patient representatives have worked together to begin delivering on this ambition.
To mark this first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, Ireland’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Partnership, led by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry, has published its first annual progress report. The report highlights what we have achieved together in the past year, the impact of this work, and what will happen next to ensure we stay on track.
Our shared vision for 2040
Ireland is one of the first countries in the world to publicly commit to eliminating cervical cancer. Our goal is clear: to make cervical cancer rare in every community.
Reaching elimination requires progress in three key areas:
- HPV vaccination to prevent HPV infection
- cervical screening to find and treat early changes before they develop into cancer and to find cancer as early as possible
- timely treatment for anyone who needs it.
Ireland continues to perform strongly in these areas. HPV vaccination and screening rates remain high overall and work is underway to address lower uptake in some communities.
Putting equity at the centre
Elimination will only be meaningful if it is achieved for everyone, not just for the majority.
We place a strong focus on equity which this year has included:
- community-based pilot projects with Roma, Traveller and migrant communities to co-design culturally appropriate vaccine information
- trauma-informed screening services in settings such as Limerick Prison and Sexual Assault Treatment Units
- market research and behavioural science studies identifying the real-life barriers some women face, such as access to a GP, past trauma, uncertainty about the screening test, or not knowing the test is free
- starting work to better monitor differences in access and outcomes between different groups, so that services can respond to need.
Elimination will only be achieved if every person has the information, support and access they need to take part in vaccination, screening and treatment.
Key achievements from the past year
Over the past 12 months, the Cervical Cancer Elimination Partnership has:
- strengthened the school HPV vaccination programme, supported by new legislation allowing follow-up where consent has not yet been provided
- started preparations for a national feasibility study of HPV self-sampling, which may make screening easier and more accessible
- introduced new training programmes and guidance to support screening for people who have experienced trauma or barriers to care
- continued to improve pathways for early diagnosis and treatment, ensuring that almost all people diagnosed with cervical cancer receive timely care
- established two new clinical Fellow posts to help build future workforce capacity and leadership in public health and colposcopy.
These achievements lay the foundations for sustainable progress over the coming years.
Actions enabling our progress
To support progress across vaccination, screening and treatment, we’re also driving four system-wide enabling actions:
- Partnerships, advocacy and communications: Strengthening collaboration across the health system and with communities, and improving the accessibility of public information so that everyone can understand and act on it.
- Workforce and education: Building the skills, capacity and confidence of staff and community workers across services, including trauma-informed care and intercultural competence.
- Research: Developing an evidence base that is rooted in Irish experience and informed by international learning, so that decisions are guided by what works.
- Data, monitoring and evaluation: Improving the availability and use of data to identify where gaps exist, monitor equity and track progress year-on-year towards our 2040 target.
Together, these enabling actions ensure that our progress is coordinated, sustainable, and equitable.
Looking ahead to 2026
Next year, work will progress in several key areas including:
- launch of the HPV self-sampling feasibility study in primary care settings
- expansion of targeted HPV vaccination supports in schools and communities
- continued improvements to the cervical screening register to strengthen quality and equity monitoring
- further training to support culturally competent and trauma-informed care across the pathway
- publication of an annual progress report in November.
This work will allow us to continue moving at pace, in partnership, and guided by evidence.
A national moment of shared commitment
The report also includes pledges from clinicians, programme teams, researchers, patient advocates and community workers across Ireland. Each pledge is personal, practical and grounded in the values of care, compassion, trust and partnership.
Together, these pledges reflect our collective efforts in eliminating cervical cancer. They belong to all of us.
On this first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, we recognise the progress made and recommit to the work ahead.
Lighting the way to elimination
As part of the global illumination initiative, Office of Public Works buildings across Ireland - from the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary to Dublin’s Custom House - joined iconic landmarks around the world and illuminated in teal on World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day to raise awareness of the global elimination effort.
A national moment of action
We’re asking everyone to do one act for elimination on 17 November for World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
We’ve developed a partnership communications toolkit to support communities and organisations to take action and help us reach our target to eliminate cervical cancer. It includes ready-to-use factsheets, social media graphics, sample posts and printable posters.
Act now - act together. Let’s make cervical cancer rare in every community.
- Keep up to date on Ireland’s progress and story towards cervical cancer elimination: hse.ie/cervicalcancerelimination