Rollout of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines could improve following an announcement by the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) that a single dose of HPV vaccine – instead of the traditional two or three doses – delivers solid protection against the virus. This is expected to increase vaccination rates against the infection of HPV as the main cause of cervical cancer. In 2020, cervical cancer claimed the lives of 342,000 women in 2020 globally with about 90 per cent of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, where access to HPV vaccine has been limited due to a range of factors. Experts say that with only one jab required to save lives, there will be fewer obstacles to face in our global effort to prevent cervical cancer through immunisation. Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said that the impact of the decision on women and girls across Africa, and across the world includes saving lives. “The decision on the HPV vaccine is a critically important one in our fight against cervical cancer – a disease that kills one woman every two minutes, the vast majority of whom live in lower-income countries,” she said. “With global supply traditionally constrained and inequitable distribution of vaccines across geography, income and disease burden, this decision means we will now be able to make the same volume of doses – and the same investment – go twice as far. This could potentially save twice the number of lives. It could also be a game changer in protecting underserved and vulnerable populations where second dose uptake is a persistent challenge,” she added. Experts add that as lower income countries contend not only with COVID-19 but a host of other public health priorities, this single dose regime would ease the strain on overstretched health systems. Gupta called on countries to seize the opportunity and protect a generation of girls who remain at risk from a deadly but preventable disease, adding that Gavi has supported HPV vaccine introduction for girls in 16 African countries. “With the SAGE recommendation, girls in every African country - and beyond- should be able to access this life-saving vaccine,” she said. The development comes amid calls by countries including Rwanda for efforts to reduce the prices of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and adoption of innovative technologies in the world’s sustained fight against cervical cancer. As far as vaccination is concerned, Rwanda has surpassed the target by the WHO cervical cancer elimination strategy of having 90 percent of girls under 15 fully vaccinated against HPV. Since 2011, Rwanda’s immunisation for young girls of age 12 has consistently stood above 90 per cent.
