Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women in 42 low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), with the highest age-standardised incidence rates (40 cases per 100 000 women-years) occurring in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The gross disparity of the burden of this highly preventable disease, whereby 290 000 (51%) of the 570 000 new cases estimated to occur annually befall women in LMICs, has led many people to call attention to the need for urgent action.