Expansion of Cervical Cancer Screening Programs in Spanish Regions

The authorities of two Spanish autonomous communities – Andalusia and the Canary Islands – have announced plans to expand or launch population-based cervical cancer screening programs. These decisions were made in recent days and announced in local parliaments, although their timelines differ significantly. In Andalusia, according to the announcement by Health Councillor Antonio Sanz, women aged 40-49 will be included in the existing program from March 2026. As he informed, the goal is to cover 100% of the target population by 2029; the current participation rate is 84%. Since the program began in July 2024, 121 thousand women have already undergone screening. Sanz emphasized that the actions are „homogeneous, global, and regulated”. Cervical cancer, caused mainly by oncogenic types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), was for decades a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in many countries. A breakthrough came with the development in the 1980s and 1990s of cytological tests (the so-called Pap test), and subsequently – around the turn of the millennium – effective prophylactic vaccines. Thanks to these tools, the disease has become largely preventable and detectable at an early stage. The situation in the Canary Islands is different. Health Councillor Esther Monzón confirmed in the regional parliament that their screening program will only begin in the second half of 2026. It will be implemented in phases, starting from selected health areas, to ultimately cover the target group of 635 thousand women aged 25-65. Women will receive invitations by mail or SMS prior to the test. This announcement was met with criticism from the opposition PSOE party, which accused the Canary Islands government of delays resulting from a lack of political will, not technical problems. The difference in the pace of program implementation in both regions illustrates inequalities in access to cancer prevention within the decentralized Spanish health system. While Andalusia is expanding an existing program, the Canary Islands are only beginning its organization. The common denominator is the emphasis on cytological tests (Pap smears), which according to the guidelines of the Spanish Sistema Nacional de Salud are the primary screening method. For the youngest age group (25-34), cytology is standardly performed every three years, while for women aged 35-65, HPV DNA tests are also increasingly used. Antonio Sanz, Health Councillor of Andalusia, in his statement recalled that thanks to prevention programs, mortality from cervical cancer has been reduced by 80%, highlighting the crucial role of early detection. In both cases, the announcements were responses to parliamentary questions or interpellations, indicating that the topic of cancer prevention is subject to oversight activity by local parliaments and generates significant political interest.