Bangkok--5 Jun--Jigsaw Communications
Health Leaders Convene in Korea to Save Women’s Lives by Protecting Against Human Papillomavirus in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Regions
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) holds symposium of decision-makers to develop solutions for HPV vaccination programs in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions
Cervical cancer, caused by HPV infection, is the second most common cancer found in women
More than 50% of deaths resulting from cervical cancer occur in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions
The World Health Organization recommends the introduction of routine HPV vaccines into national immunization programs when feasible
‘Call to Action’ for participants to form public, private partnerships
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) today convened a two-day symposium of 150 experts, policymakers, and decision makers from more than 36 countries from the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions to develop solutions to expand vaccination programs to fight Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its related diseases, including cervical cancer—a major killer of women globally and in both regions. After examining issues surrounding HPV vaccination implementation, participants will be ‘called to action’ to forge necessary partnerships to expedite vaccination strategies.
In the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, the majority of deaths from HPV occur in women in developing countries who do not have access to preventative health services, most notably, cervical cancer screening programs. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women in these regions.
HPV has been demonstrated to be the cause of more than 99 percent of cases of cervical cancer, and is one of the most common viruses infecting humans . Diseases caused by HPVs include cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis and anus; a subset of head and neck cancer; anogenital warts; and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.
In the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, there are 1.3 billion women ages 15 years or older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year there are more than 265,000 cases of cervical cancer in these regions; of these, over 140,000 women die annually. Deaths from cervical cancer in these regions represent over 50 percent of all cervical cancer deaths globally, of which one third stem from Southern Asia* (at 85,192) .
There are two available HPV vaccines; the quadrivalent vaccine and the bivalent vaccine. Prophylactic HPV vaccines have a proven high efficacy among HPV-na?ve women, and are expected to prevent up to 70 percent of cervical cancers among vaccinated women . Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms and therefore, most infected are unaware.
“With the introduction of two effective vaccines we are now able to fight one of the leading killers of women in these regions,” notes Dr. John Clemens, Director General of the IVI. “We still have a lot to accomplish, and this symposium is an important first step in forging necessary public-private partnerships to facilitate the introduction of this vaccine into national immunization programs.”
In April this year WHO published a position paper recommending the introduction of routine HPV vaccines into national immunization programs where the: prevention of cervical cancer and/or other HPV-related diseases is a public health priority; vaccine introduction is programmatically feasible; sustainable financing can be secured; and the cost-effectiveness of vaccination strategies in the country or region has been duly considered. The GAVI Alliance has prioritized HPV vaccines for possible support and in November of this year the GAVI Board will consider an implementation plan for this support.
“Prior to the availability of preventative vaccines, HPV presented a daunting public health problem,” states Dr. F. Xavier Bosch, Chief of the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Spain. “Now, with the achievement of proven-effective vaccines, we have an opportunity to intercept the cause of one of the most common cancers found in women.”
Participants are gathering to learn about country experiences with vaccine introduction from countries that have already introduced an HPV vaccine. To date, HPV vaccination strategies have been introduced in Australia, Taiwan and Turkey among others.
“There are more than 100 strains of HPV but only a handful cause cancer,” notes Dr. Linda Eckert, Scientist, WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research. “Women who do not have access to regular screenings are at higher risk of developing cervical cancer as there are no warning signs until the cancer has become life-threatening. Widespread vaccination could help minimize the health access disparities in high and low-income countries.”
According to WHO, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer found in women globally. Approximately 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and a quarter of a million deaths from the disease each year. In fact, around the world, one woman dies every two minutes from cervical cancer .
The IVI is hosting this symposium with the participation from PATH, a global health agency based in the United States, and WHO.
Additional Information on HPV and HPV Vaccines
You can find additional information on HPV and the two HPV vaccines from:
- ‘Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer’- the WHO ICO Asia Summary Report
http://apps.who.int/hpvcentre/statistics/dynamic/ico/country_pdf/XSX.pdf?CFID=2338149&CFTOKEN=85094950
- ‘Peparing for the Introduction of HPV vaccines: Policy and Programme Guidance for Countries’ - WHO and UNFPA
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/hpvvaccines/text.pdf
- ‘Human Papillomavirus Vaccines WHO Position Paper’ — WHO
http://www.who.int/wer/2009/wer8415.pdf
About the IVI:
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international research organization devoted exclusively to bringing new vaccines to the poor populations of the developing world. Its diverse technical expertise allows it to follow the vaccine process from discovery through deployment. Established as an initiative of the United Nations Development Program in 1997, the IVI has worked with both public and private partners and has set up research sites focusing on a number of infectious diseases in 28 countries around the world. Since its creation, the institute has also made scientific contributions through its laboratory sciences division, which discovers and develops new vaccines, as well as new needle-free vaccine delivery methods. The IVI is supported by governments, companies, and foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
For more information, please visit www.ivi.int.
For Immediate Release-
Contact:
Tae Kyung Byun
International Vaccine Institute
Public Awareness/Advocacy Officer
+82 2 881 1159
[email protected]
Jirayu Singtokum
Senior Account Executive
Tel: 02-253-2793
www.jigsaw-communications.com