Sharon Kapambwe: Addressing the first pillar of the WHO Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination

Sharon Kapambwe, Technical Officer of Cancer Control at World Health Organization, shared on LinkedIn:

“Addressing the first pillar of the WHO Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination: HPV Vaccination

My last speaking engagement at ICASA2023 was on cervical cancer and HIV.
Women living with HIV are six times likely to develop cervical cancer than women in the general population.

We discussed the three pillars of the WHO Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Renowned professor in cervical cancer research in Africa, Prof. Mike Chirenje commented on the urgent need for the African region to invest in the first pillar as it offers massive gains and a protects the future generation.

Some points he highlighted;

The first pillar is about the closing the tap of the cervical cancer problem. Every country needs to close the tap by introducing HPV vaccination. Africa is disapproportionately affected by cervical cancer. Nineteen of the top twenty countries with highest incidence rates of cervical cancer are in Africa.

HPV vaccination is the lowest fruit among the pillars. It’s possible to reach 90% adolescent girls with investment. The infrastructure for the vaccine exists nearly every country. Might not be optimal but exists. In most countries with improved school entries most of the girls are likely in school. For girls out of school, there still exists sociocultural channels in communities to find them. It requires innovative ideas and of course investment.

With the recommendation of one dose being equally effective as two doses, improved access leading to better coverage is expected.
Nigeria in its phase of national introduction of HPV vaccination targeted more than seven million girls. Zambia rolled out its Multi-Age Cohort with over 1. 5 million girls targeted. Eswatini having the highest global incidence rate of cervical cancer introduced HPV vaccination in June 2023. These are some of the great milestones attained in 2023 in the region.

According to the framework for implementation of the global strategy for accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer as public health problem, by 2024 the expected milestone, 90% full vaccination of girls in 20 countries in Africa. Africa has surpassed the 20 countries the 2024 milestone though coverage is lower. This perhaps the only milestone we are closely on track among the three pillars.

Investment in screening and treatment must continue as well for us to be on track to accelerating elimination of cervical cancer.
Let’s aim to get all eligible girls vaccinated against HPV. ”

Source: Sharon Kapambwe/LinkedIn