The HPV vaccine saves more than one million lives in the poorest countries

 

The Gavi vaccine alliance announced on Monday that intensified HPV vaccination campaigns in low-income countries have averted more than one million cervical cancer deaths over the past three years.

“More than one million cervical cancer deaths have been averted, and some 86 million young girls are now protected from the leading cause of this cancer, thanks to three years of concerted efforts led by Gavi and low-income countries,” the alliance said in a statement.

This announcement follows the relaunch of Gavi’s HPV vaccination program in 2023, which aims to protect millions of young girls from the leading cause of cervical cancer and thus prevent more than one million deaths.

“Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of countries, partners, civil society, and local communities, we have achieved this goal ahead of schedule,” said Sanya Nishtar, chair of the international organization, which relies on public and private funding to vaccinate children in the poorest countries.

She emphasized that "this collective effort contributes to significant global progress towards eliminating one of the leading causes of death among women," noting that even today, "a woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes."

This cancer disproportionately affects low-income countries, as they often lack screening services and equitable access to treatment. In 2022, these countries accounted for 90% of the 350,000 cervical cancer deaths, according to Gavi.

The vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, is highly effective, with a mortality rate of 17.4 per 1,000 vaccinated children.

Gavi stated that its efforts have prevented a total of 1.4 million deaths. With the number of countries that will introduce the vaccine with Gavi support exceeding 50 by the end of 2025, the vaccine will be available in countries that collectively account for 89% of cervical cancer cases worldwide.

Thanks to its success in reducing vaccine costs while increasing supply by securing required quantities from manufacturers, the alliance obtained commitments from them to invest in vaccines, which currently cost between $2.90 and $5.18 per dose in the countries it supports, compared to $100 or more in other countries.

In 2022, the World Health Organization officially recommended a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule instead of the previous two doses, enabling the vaccination of twice the number of girls with the available stock.