GENEVA, Oct 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a new single-dose HPV vaccine in an effort to scale up prevention of cervical cancer.
The vaccine, known as Cecolin®, is the fourth HPV vaccine to be prequalified by WHO and its approval is expected to make it easier for millions of girls to receive the jab in low and middle-income countries.
“Unlike most other cancers, we have the ability to eliminate cervical cancer, along with its painful inequities. By adding another option for a one-dose HPV vaccination schedule, we have taken another step closer to consigning cervical cancer to history,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
According to WHO, more than 95% of the 660,000 global cervical cancer cases each year are attributed to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
WHO adds that every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, and 90% of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Of the 20 countries most affected by cervical cancer, 19 are in Africa.
Supply shortages, which have hampered HPV vaccination efforts since 2018, have impacted millions of girls in need of protection.
However, WHO believes that with the approval of Cecolin® and the gradual adoption of the single-dose schedule, more girls will receive vaccines, even in areas facing logistical challenges.
As of September 2024, 57 countries have adopted the single-dose HPV vaccine schedule, a sharp increase from the 37 countries in 2023.
WHO reports that the shift to single-dose schedules has enabled an additional 6 million girls worldwide to be vaccinated in the past year alone.
The global health body targets to vaccinate 90% of girls by age 15 by the year 2030, and this latest approval is seen as a key step toward reaching that goal.
The introduction of Cecolin® comes just weeks after WHO prequalified another HPV vaccine, Walrinvax®, which is currently recommended for a two-dose schedule. — NNN-AGENCIES
