BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 120 million cervical cancer screenings were conducted free in China as part of the country's efforts to protect women's health.

The mortality rate of cervical cancer among Chinese women is 5.5 per 100,000, lower than the global average of 9.7 per 100,000, Song Li, an official of the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a press conference here Thursday, citing data from an annual report on tumor registry in China.

The disease is preventable and also curable if detected early and treated adequately, yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally.

Without additional measures, the annual number of new cases of cervical cancer is expected to increase from 570,000 to 700,000 between 2018 and 2030, while the yearly number of deaths is projected to rise from 311,000 to 400,000, according to statistics released by the World Health Organization.

The NHC is playing an active role in promoting inoculation against cervical cancer, as well as its screening among Chinese women, Song said. Enditem