Affordable vaccines, screening vital to stop rise of cervical cancer deaths in Lat Am

However, cost is a key factor in bringing HPV immunizations to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (and elsewhere in the developing world) given financial constraints on national health care spending.

For example, the study found that the price of the HPV vaccine now used in the U.S.—which sells for $360 for the required three-dose regimen—would need to come down considerably to become affordable in the region. It reveals that at $360 it would cost the six countries studied $4.7 billion annually to vaccinate 70 percent of their 12-year-old girls. Also, the researchers note that even if costs fell to $25 per vaccinated girl, while the vaccine would certainly be very cost-effective in the countries studied compared to other control methods, it would still cost $290 million annually.

“We found scenarios where from an economic perspective, widespread adoption of an HPV vaccine makes sense, but we also wanted to be clear that even at a reduced price, the vaccine would have significant financial implications for national health care systems,” said Cuauhtémoc Ruiz Matus, Chief, Immunization Unit, PAHO.

Dr. Ruiz went on to say that vaccine prices urgently need to be addressed. But he said the goal for the near-term is to carefully document the burden of disease in the region and make a strong scientific case for launching a new, multi-faceted effort to fight cervical cancer. The effort would involve not just vaccines, but enhanced screening programs that provide high coverage for women at risk for contracting cervical cancer and health services that ensure treatment for all. For example, researchers in this Mexico City meeting are discussing the effectiveness of a relatively simple and inexpensive alternative to Pap smear tests for detecting early, pre-cancerous lesions in addition to the potential uses of a relatively new and highly accurate DNA test for HPV.

“As we have seen with recent successes involving introduction of rotavirus and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines, and even going back to the rubella campaign, when leaders in this region understand the nature of the threat and the effectiveness of various interventions at hand, they summon the political will to act with amazing vision and precision, with the potential to save thousands of lives,” said Andrus of PAHO.

The Pan American Health Organization, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples. It serves as the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). To learn more, visit www.paho.org.

The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit public organization dedicated to saving lives by stimulating the development and distribution of vaccines throughout the world. The Institute is committed to continuing the work of Dr. Albert Sabin, developer of the oral live virus polio vaccine, who envisioned the enormous potential of vaccines to prevent deadly diseases. To learn more, visit www.sabin.org.