Introduction: the program for timely detection and control of cervical cancer was created in Colombia to intervene in this disease. Although the reform of the General System of Social Security in Health includes the quality of health care among its components, the provision of disease prevention services is made through unarticulated activities, which disrupts the processes of health care and control. Objective: to assess the quality of the program for timely detection and control of cervical cancer in public hospitals of nine municipalities of Antioquia with high mortality rates. Materials and methods: a descriptive study was conducted. It included nine municipalities with mortality rates higher than the mean in Antioquia between 2000 and 2006, one public hospital offering first-level attention activities in the Program of timely detection and control of cervical cancer per municipality. The methodology of evaluation of health services proposed by Donabedian was applied. Surveys to health staff and patients were conducted; observation guides to the process of health care were also performed. Results: inadequate policy planning was found, as well as resource gaps in quantity and quality, fragmentation of health care, lack of information systems and restriction of activities to promote health. Nevertheless, a high percentage of patients were satisfied with the care and would recommend the program. At the end of the observation period, a decrease of 50% in mortality rates of eight municipalities was observed, but some of them remained higher than Antioquia average. Conclusions: the quality of the program was poor in each hospital included in the study. The restructuration of the components of the program is advised, along with the improvement in the involvement of different stakeholders and the implementation of activities related with planning, evaluation and monitoring.