Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have cervical cancer, which currently has a high mortality rate. However, specialists and the World Health Organization (WHO) argue that within the next 100 years, humanity may be able to eradicate this form of cancer altogether, News Medical reports.

According to the WHO, in 2018 — the latest year for which data are available — there were an estimated 570,000 new cases of cervical cancer globally.

They also note that this form of cancer has a high mortality rate, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. However, applying the right preventive measures could significantly lower this rate.

Now, two separate studies that appear in The Lancet argue that cervical cancer could become a distant memory within the next 100 years.

The studies — conducted by researchers affiliated with The WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Modelling Consortium — outline the measures that they advise different countries to apply when it comes to preventing cervical cancer.

The consortium was co-led by Prof. Marc Brisson from Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine in Québec, Canada.