[WorldImmunisationWeek] Fighting HPV and cervical cancer in Africa

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Africa and HPV

• An estimated 266,000 women die every year from cervical cancer. Over 85% of those deaths occur among women in developing countries. Without changes in prevention and control, cervical cancer deaths are forecast to rise to 416,000 by 2035; and virtually all of those deaths will be in developing countries.

• Cervical cancer is the most common of all cancers in Africa and thus continues to be a significant threat that demands urgent attention in the African region. In 2012, over half a million new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed worldwide with one in five being in sub-Saharan Africa.

• The primary cause of cervical pre-cancerous lesions and cancer is persistent or chronic infection with one or more types of high-risk HPV.

• Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. Immunisation, together with screening and treatment, is the best strategy to rapidly reduce the burden of cervical cancer.

Securing the future

“We must continue to build on the wonderful momentum we have. It will take a collective, collaborative effort involving governments, donors, patient organisations, healthcare professionals, NGOs, multilateral organisations and others in the private sector – to increase access to life-saving vaccines and to strengthen immunisation programmes," said Farouk Shamas Jiwa, sub-Saharan Africa director for policy and corporate responsibility at MSD

“Preventing disease through vaccination is about securing the future - in particular for African women and girls. Our goal is to sustain and improve the quality of life and health of communities and countries across Africa. Our commitment is steadfast as we work to increase access to vaccines now and in the future,” he explained.

Making inroads in preventing diseases

Africa has made several gains beyond increasing the reach of immunisation; some diseases have been eliminated through wide-scale programmes. Vaccines are available in public vaccination programmes in the vast majority of African countries, thanks to sustained political will, international support and innovative public/private partnerships.

“Vaccines are one of the greatest public health success stories in history. For more than 100 years, our scientists have been discovering vaccines that have been impacting lives. By helping healthy people stay healthy, vaccines remove a major barrier to human an economic development,” said Jiwa.

World Immunisation Week, a global awareness campaign launched by the World Health Organisation in 2012 and commemorated in the last week of April, aims to promote the use of vaccines to help protect people of all ages against disease.

For the second year running, the Close the Immunisation Gap campaign will be celebrating the achievements to date with an emphasis on the unmet need amongst adolescents and adult vaccine uptake.