ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Health Economics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1633975
This article is part of the Research TopicHealth Economic Evaluation in Cancer Prevention and ControlView all articles
Global, regional, and national disease burden and economic costs of cervical cancer (1991-2021): a multidimensional data synthesis analysis
Provisionally accepted
- Peking University, Beijing, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract Objectives: Cervical cancer remains a significant global health concern, particularly in less developed regions. This study aims to assess the global, regional, and national burden of cervical cancer from 1991 to 2021. Methods: This study synthesizes data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021, WHO health expenditure databases, and published cost estimates to comprehensively assess the epidemiological and economic burden of cervical cancer from 1991 to 2021. We analyzed age-standardized rates (ASRs) of prevalence (ASPR), incidence (ASIR), mortality (ASMR), and disability-adjusted life years (ASDR) using GBD 2021 data. Temporal trends were quantified via Joinpoint regression-derived average annual percentage changes (AAPCs). Direct medical costs were estimated by integrating GBD incidence data, WHO per-capita health expenditure growth rates, and published treatment costs (2015), reported in both undiscounted and 3% discounted 2021 USD. Results: In 2021, globally, there were 3,385,000 prevalent cases, 667,000 incident cases, 297,000 deaths, and 7,440,000 DALYs attributed to cervical cancer. Sub-Saharan Africa bore the highest burden, while 12 countries in North Africa and Middle East reported incidence rates below 4 per 100,000. From 1991 to 2021, AAPCs in ASPR, ASIR, ASMR, and ASDR were 0.08%, -0.52%, -1.22%, and -1.21%, respectively. Despite the 2018 elimination initiative, overall incidence and mortality trends showed minimal change. Age-specific incidence notably decreased in individuals over 70, with slower mortality declines in higher age groups. AAPCs positively correlated with 1991 baseline rates and negatively with 2021 socio-demographic index (SDI). Over the same period, the global cumulative direct medical cost of cervical cancer was estimated at USD 9.26 billion (95% UI: 7.95–10.70) without discounting, and USD 7.21 billion (95% UI: 6.14–8.40) when discounted to 2021. Conclusion: The global cervical cancer prevalence continues to rise, with no country achieving the elimination threshold. High incidence is concentrating in younger ages, while high mortality is shifting to older ages. Sub-Saharan Africa requires targeted interventions to address its disproportionate burden. The substantial economic burden reinforces the urgency for early prevention, equitable treatment access, and sustained health investment. Keywords: Cervical cancer; Cost of illness; Disability-adjusted life-years; Epidemiology; Global Burden of Disease Study
Keywords: cervical cancer, Cost of Illness, Disability-adjusted life-years, Epidemiology, global
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 31 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ma, Lai and Fang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiaozhen Lai, Peking University, Beijing, China
Hai Fang, Peking University, Beijing, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.