The goal of the study, which was conducted by PATH, an international, non-profit organization, was to determine whether it was safe and effective to give patients the vaccine for the virus linked to cervical cancer.
Lead author of the study, Professor Allyson Pollock and her team, claim that India lacks proof about cervical cancer and therefore, a vaccine trial to defend against the virus should not have taken place.
The study enrolled over 23,000 women from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Scientists who were brought in to analyze the trial claim that it violated major moral standards.
Pollock and her team went over numerous affirmations made by PATH concerning India’s cervical cancer rates. One claim by PATH stated: ‘In raw numbers, India has the largest burden of cancer of the cervix of any country worldwide.’
However, evidence shows that cervical cancer rates in India are not high compared to other parts of the world, such as Zimbabwe and Brazil, where the rates are double those in India. In fact, the numbers have decreased from 43 per 100,000 people in 1982-1983 to 22 per 100,000 people as of 2004-2005.
The researchers also found in all of India, especially Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, that the supervision of cancer was not up-to-par, which meant that there would be no way to determine whether the vaccine had a positive impact.
Professor Pollock continued:
“This trial has clearly raised serious concerns for the people and government of India. The aim of our study was to look at whether data on cervical cancer in the country justify the introduction of HPV vaccination.
The lack of information is important because it means that World Health Organization criteria for monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccine cannot be fulfilled. Neither the epidemiological evidence nor current cancer surveillance systems justify the general rollout of an HPV raccination program in India or in the two states where PATH was conducting its research.
She concluded:
“It’s important to compare the burden of cervical cancer in India to other major health concerns, such as primary care, malaria, maternal anaemia and malnutrition, and consider best use of financial resources.
HPV vaccine which is among the most expensive vaccines on the market is not justified as a health care priority for India.”
Written by Christine Kearney