Zita’s Journey: Beating Cervical Cancer

For Zita Baynazarova, a mother of four from Сhymbai, the diagnosis of cervical cancer was an unimaginable shock. “I never complained about my health. My mother had passed away at 51 from cancer, and I couldn’t believe I might face the same fate,” she shares.

Having this in mind, Zita decided to undergo HPV testing conducted in the UNFPA  cervical cancer screening initiative. “The doctors told me that there are changes on my cervix and it might be a cancer that was just starting and that I had come on time,” she recalls.

Zita’s life-changing diagnosis came as a result of a program aimed at completing free HPV testing for 50,000 women aged 30 to 55 across Karakalpakstan. The initiative was designed to combat cervical cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Uzbekistan. 

Following her diagnosis, Zita underwent special treatment in a local polyclinic after additional screenings in Nukus. “Thanks to this program, I learned about my condition early and got the treatment I needed. I’m so grateful to UNFPA for the project—it saved my life,” she says.

Currently, 1,650 Uzbek women develop cervical cancer every year and 1,000 women die from this disease. An effective national cervical screening program using HPV testing could reduce this disease and death by more than 90%, preventing 8,500 new cases and 5,000 deaths by 2030.

Now, two years later, Zita is thriving. “Thank God, I’ve been well. But I will never forget the fear I felt when I heard that it might be late if I did not go through the check” she shares. Her gratitude to her doctors and the program that supported her shines through. “I feel like I’ve returned to the world,” she adds.

Zita’s story underscores the lifesaving power of early detection and accessible healthcare. Without the UNFPA screening program, she and many others might not have discovered their conditions in time.

UNFPA remains committed to expanding access to cervical cancer prevention and treatment services, ensuring that women like Zita can live healthy, fulfilling lives. Through their efforts, hope continues to grow for a future free from cervical cancer.