Health authorities in Cape Town said they are encouraged by the rise in cervical cancer screening tests at local health facilities, the figures having nearly doubled in the past year – from 14 581 in 2024/25 to 27 561 in 2025/26, reports IOL.
The City has been urging eligible women to make use of the free screening and other preventative health services at its clinics, with Councillor Francine Higham, the mayoral committee member for community services and health, saying that cervical cancer remains a significant health concern in South Africa.
She added, however, that it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and cervical screening (pap smears), and that early detection allows for treatment.
The increase in screenings showed that more women were taking an active role in looking after their health, and she advised women over 30 who had not yet had a pap smear to visit their nearest City Health clinic.
The provincial Health Department said that in the past year, it has provided 348 265 family-planning services; that there had been a 68% increase in IUCD insertions, from 652 in 2024/25 to 1 098 in 2025/26, while almost 10 000 contraceptive implants were inserted.
A total of 21 948 women had attended their first antenatal visit at City Health facilities during 2025/26, with more than 11 000 presenting before 14 weeks of pregnancy.
DIY screening
Meanwhile, further afield, NHS England is now offering women free home-testing kits for cervical cancer, reports The Guardian.
The health service aims to eliminate the cancer by 2040, but the move comes amid concerns that only two-thirds of women attend in-person cervical screening appointments when asked to do so, leaving as many as 4m women not up to date.
The rollout is being described as a “game-changer”, offering a “discreet and convenient option” to encourage more women to get screened.
The kits contain a swab to collect a sample from the vagina, which is then posted back to the NHS free, where it is tested in labs for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
If high-risk HPV is detected, patients will then be asked to attend a cervical screening appointment with a clinician.
Starting this week, eligible women between 30 and 65 who have not attended screening appointments will be sent invitations via the NHS app, text message, email or letter. They will then be able to order a kit through the app or website.
Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director for women’s health at NHS England, said: “Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two-thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS.”
Women aged between 24 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more often if HPV is detected.
The latest figures show just 68.8% of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the 80% target.
“There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test,” said Mann.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives. While it’s best to be done by a nurse or doctor, there are barriers that make it challenging for some people to attend. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
HPV jab success sees ‘almost zero chance of cervical cancer death’ – UK study
Easier self-tests may soon replace the dreaded Pap smear
Early ovarian cancer detection possible with Pap smears – Milan study
Landmark South African study shows efficacy of HPV vaccination