After a 30-year decline, cervical cancer is now the fastest increasing cancer in females, with most cases occurring in women under 50. This rise is explained by lower uptake in screening and vaccination against the human papilloma virus, or HPV.
Because virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV infection, we can reverse this trend and achieve the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer's goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040 through prevention and early detection.
For example, replacing the Pap test with HPV testing as the primary method of screening for cervical cancer, with the option to self-test, can better detect cervical cancer and reduce barriers related to socio-economic factors or lack of access to health care providers.
While many provinces and territories are preparing for this change, the swabs used for HPV tests currently have an indication that they must be conducted by a health care professional. Health Canada has an opportunity to update this indication and remove this barrier in providing at-home tests. We recommend that Health Canada proceed with this update promptly.
Lastly, when talking about cancer prevention and women's health we must acknowledge that alcohol is a cancer-causing substance and is estimated to be one of the top three causes of cancer deaths worldwide. However, over 40% of people in Canada are not aware that alcohol consumption, even at low levels, increases cancer risk.
In 2019, almost 20% of women between the ages of 15 and 54 reported consuming over six standard drinks of alcohol per week. Because of biological factors, this high-risk level of alcohol consumption has long-term health impacts, including breast cancer.
We recommend the federal government implement mandatory labels on all alcoholic products sold in Canada to ensure more people can make informed decisions for their health. Additionally, honouring the scheduled 4.7% federal alcohol excise duty increase slated for April 2024 would maintain the alcohol industry's contribution to our economy, which, as is, only partially offsets the social costs and harms directly caused by their products.
We thank you all for your attention today and look forward to your questions.