Australia is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate cervical cancer, but globally, women continue to die from this entirely preventable illness.

We now have access to highly effective vaccines and more sensitive screening tests, but the positive impacts of these are far from being realised in countries with the highest cancer burden. In Papua New Guinea, for example, it is estimated that more than 1,000 women die of cervical cancer each year.

We therefore must continue to seek out new approaches that are effective and practical in low- and middle-income settings, so they too can benefit from the advances in technology that are available.

This International Women's Day, and in recognition of International HPV Awareness Day, we meet some of the women behind Australia's leading cervical cancer research, as they share their experiences and insights into this important women's health issue.

Professor Karen Canfell, director of the Cancer Research Division at Cancer Council NSW, and Kirby Institute researchers Dr Dorothy Machalek and Ms Hawa Camara are all working across communities in Australia and internationally to help alleviate this preventable illness.