12 December 2006
A landmark conference of civil society leaders and global policymakers today called for immediate action to ensure rapid global access to new cervical cancer vaccines that have the potential to save a quarter million lives a year.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women, and 80 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur in the developing world, where access to screening and treatment is extremely limited.
Newly proven vaccines protect women against human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that causes the majority of cervical cancer cases. “There is usually a 15 to 20 year delay between the time that new vaccines are approved in the West and the time they reach developing countries,” said Dr. Nothemba Simelela, Director of Technical Knowledge and Support at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
“The world cannot afford to wait 20 years to begin saving women from cervical cancer.”
Health experts believe that HPV is among the fastest-growing sexually transmitted infections worldwide.
Approximately 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported annually. In industrialized countries, expanded screening and treatment have dramatically reduced cervical cancer rates over the last 60 years.
But in developing countries, where more than 95 percent of women never have a pap smear, the death rate from cervical cancer continues to rise.
New HPV vaccines are nearly 100 percent effective in protecting against the two most virulent forms of HPV, which together cause 70 percent of cervical cancers.
Today’s meeting, titled “Stop Cervical Cancer: Accelerating Global Access to HPV Vaccines,” is the first international forum to address the full range of issues that will speed global access to HPV vaccines, including funding, delivery and political challenges.
Merck & Co. licensed the first HPV vaccine earlier this year. A second vaccine, produced by GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to be licensed in 2007.
“Both political and economic commitment, along with innovative service delivery strategies, will be necessary to ensure that the vaccine is made available to women around the world,” said Dr. Jacqueline Sherris, Strategic Program Leader for Reproductive Health at PATH.
“It is essential to identify creative ways to locate new resources, including combining funds from external donors and national governments. Similarly, we must raise awareness in countries where the need for these vaccines is greatest.”
Health experts and officials at the meeting, held at the Royal College of Physicians in London, will discuss ways to rapidly introduce HPV vaccines.
These new products represent the first vaccine for cancer, the first vaccine primarily for women and adolescents, and the first vaccine for a reproductive health issue.
Participants will discuss how to overcome key barriers to delivering HPV vaccines to women, including low levels of awareness, delivery challenges in developing countries, financing, regulatory and manufacturing issues, and building support from political leaders.
Meeting participants called on the international community to support the World Health Organization’s prioritization of HPV vaccines for fast-tracked prequalification and to continue forging critical partnerships across communities at global and local levels to fight cervical cancer.
In addition to raising awareness in developing countries and building donor support, the meeting aims to launch a larger movement working to ensure access to HPV vaccines.
The meeting brings together more than 60 key leaders from multilateral agencies, civil society, government, philanthropists and the pharmaceutical industry.
It was initiated by six non-profit organizations:
- the Rockefeller Foundation
- the International Planned Parenthood Federation
- the International Union Against Cancer
- PATH
- the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
- the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
Civil society participants represent a diverse group of non-profits working on cancer, reproductive health, youth issues and HIV.
In addition to the co-sponsors and other civil society leaders, participants include officials from:
- WHO UN Population Agency (UNFPA)
- GAVI Alliance
- Merck & Co.
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- the government of Brazil
- the government of India
- the government of Ireland
- the government of the Netherlands
- the government of the United Kingdom
- the government of Uganda
- the government of Vietnam
Contacts
London: Gwynne Oosterbaan
+1-646-258-8410
gwynne@ghstrat.com
Paul Bell
+44 (0) 7799-335533
pbell@ippf.org
Geneva: Samantha Bolton
+41 +41 79 239 2366
samanthabolton@gmail.com
USA: Brad Tytel
+1-917-414 3691
btytel@ghstrat.com
http://www.ghstrat.com/