Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination: Unitaid Launches New Funding Opportunity

Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. While it is both preventable and curable when detected early, access to timely screening and treatment remains deeply unequal. As a result, women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear the greatest burden, accounting for 90% of new cases and deaths globally.

Since 2018, Unitaid has been at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer. Our work focuses on secondary prevention—screening and treating early signs of cervical cancer—by driving innovation, shaping markets, and expanding access to life-saving tools.

Today, Unitaid supports secondary prevention programmes in 26 countries, helping transform how women access care. Through targeted investments, we have:

- Reduced the cost of screening and treatment tools

- Introduced or expanded the use of thermal ablation devices in over one-fifth of LMICs

- Worked with national governments to integrate cervical cancer prevention into health systems and financing strategies

These efforts are central to our broader commitment to advancing women’s health and securing sustainable, high-quality care for millions of women worldwide.

Building on these achievements, Unitaid is launching a new funding opportunity to work alongside countries ready to accelerate cervical cancer elimination. The focus is on:

- Integrating proven tools into routine care

- Pioneering new and innovative solutions

- Strengthening programme sustainability amid declining aid funding

Proposals should align with national priorities, promote equity, deliver long-term impact, and generate actionable learnings that can accelerate progress globally.

Innovation remains central to Unitaid’s mission. We are seeking affordable, high-impact solutions suitable for low-resource settings, including:

- New and emerging technologies

- Digital health solutions

- Shared laboratory models

- Point-of-care diagnostics

- Cost-saving or novel approaches to expand access to HPV testing

We strongly encourage proposals that position community and civil society organizations as strategic partners in both programme design and implementation. Meaningful engagement with women with lived experience from the outset is essential to ensure programmes are responsive, inclusive, and impactful.

- Proposal submission deadline: 9 April 2026

- Information webinar: 12 February 2026

Link: Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination through Secondary Prevention in Low- and Middle-Income Countries