[A long journey of cervical cancer prevention in China]

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. More than 80% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Global health faces enormous challenges. Prevention and control of cervical cancer have a promising prospect, owing to the etiology of carcinogenesis being clearly understood, great efficacy of HPV prophylactic vaccine being proved, technologies of early detection and treatment being well-established, and the various screening strategies being available for communities with different social and economic status. In this commentary, we focused on China and discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by the grass-roots hospitals and clinics, considering the large population load in China and unbalanced allocation of scarce healthcare resources across the nation. In the framework of "Healthy China 2030" , much needs to be done to prevent and control cervical cancer in the upcoming 12 years.