About SUCCESS – FAP

Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy – For Asia Pacific

A Global Commitment to End a Preventable Cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers, yet it remains a leading cause of cancer death among women in low- and middle-income countries. Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer—nine out of ten of these deaths occur where access to screening, treatment, and information is limited.

The Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) was created to change this reality.

SUCCESS-FAP represents the Asia-Pacific scale-up of this global effort—bringing proven, women-centered solutions closer to communities that have long been left behind.

From Proof to Scale: The SUCCESS Journey

SUCCESS Phase 1 – Proving Feasibility

The first phase of SUCCESS demonstrated that HPV self-collection is highly acceptable, feasible, and empowering for women—especially those who face social, geographic, or logistical barriers to clinic-based screening. Community-based models showed that women will participate when screening is accessible, respectful, and private.

SUCCESS Phase 2 – Generating Evidence

Phase 2 expanded community outreach and focused on evidence generation:

    • Screening coverage and equity

    • Linkage to treatment

    • Cost-effectiveness

    • Integration with existing health services

    • Inclusion of women living with HIV

By March 2024, over 184,000 women had been screened, exceeding targets and confirming that secondary prevention can be delivered effectively at scale, even in resource-constrained settings.

SUCCESS Phase 3 – Bringing Services to the Last Mile

Reaching Unserved and Underserved Communities

SUCCESS-FAP builds on these successes by expanding services to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs)—where women face the greatest risk and the fewest options.

In the Philippines, Phase 3 is being implemented in Carles, Estancia, and Lemery (Iloilo Province), with more than 17,000 women aged 30–49 targeted for screening using HPV self-collection kits.

Women with abnormal results are referred for evaluation and treatment at Western Visayas Medical Center and other Department of Health-accredited facilities, ensuring continuity of care.

This phase marks a shift from pilot programs to institutionalized, government-aligned service delivery—bringing cervical cancer elimination closer to reality.

A Comprehensive Secondary Prevention Strategy

SUCCESS-FAP strengthens secondary prevention, stopping cervical cancer before it develops, through:

    • High-performance HPV DNA testing

    • Self-sampling, allowing women to collect samples privately and conveniently

    • Immediate treatment of precancerous lesions using portable thermal ablation

    • Community education and demand generation

    • Strong referral networks and data systems

    • Special focus on women living with HIV, who face a six-fold higher risk of progression

This approach aligns with the WHO 90-70-90 targets and adapts global best practices to local realities across island, rural, and underserved communities.

Implemented by Communities, for Communities

Cancer Warriors Foundation

 

SUCCESS-FAP in the Philippines is implemented by Cancer Warriors Foundation, Inc. (CWF)—a trusted civil society organization with more than two decades of experience in cancer patient support, advocacy, and community-based service delivery.

Under the leadership of Carmen Auste, CWF bridges national policy, global partnerships, and grassroots action. The Foundation plays a central role in:

    • Community engagement and trust-building

    • Local government coordination

    • Women-centered advocacy

    • Ensuring services reach the most vulnerable

CWF’s leadership ensures that SUCCESS-FAP is not only technically sound, but socially responsive, inclusive, and sustainable.

A Global Partnership Driving Elimination

Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency committed to ending cervical cancer by 2030 through innovation, market shaping, and evidence-driven scale-up. Since 2019, Unitaid has invested in SUCCESS as part of a broader global strategy exceeding EUR 50 million, supporting new screening tools, treatment technologies, and delivery models in low- and middle-income countries.

In the Philippines and across Asia-Pacific, Unitaid’s support has helped:

    • Introduce HPV DNA testing at scale

    • Expand self-sampling to reach more women

    • Deploy thermal ablation for same-day treatment

    • Generate evidence to inform national policy and financing

Expertise France

Expertise France is the implementing agency for SUCCESS, leading the design, coordination, and technical support of the program. As a public agency specializing in international cooperation, Expertise France ensures that SUCCESS:

    • Aligns with national health policies

    • Strengthens local health systems

    • Builds long-term institutional capacity

    • Contributes to the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Together, Unitaid and Expertise France provide the long-term vision, financing, and technical leadership needed to see cervical cancer elimination through to 2030 and beyond.

Toward 2030: A Shared Vision

 

SUCCESS-FAP represents more than a project—it is a pathway to elimination.

By combining innovation, community leadership, government ownership, and global solidarity, the program is helping ensure that:

    • Every woman—whether in a city, island, or remote barangay—can access life-saving screening

    • No woman is lost due to geography, poverty, or lack of information

    • Cervical cancer becomes the first cancer eliminated through public health action

The Philippines’ growing domestic investment in HPV testing and women’s health marks a turning point toward sustainability, demonstrating how global partnerships can catalyze national leadership.