A new all-time low price for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines will now help guarantee that millions of girls in poor countries are protected against cervical cancer.

This will be made possible by the GAVI alliance (the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) – a public-private partnership that aims to save children’s lives by funding vaccines in the world’s 70 poorest nations.

Now, these countries will have access to a large supply of HPV vaccines for a low as US $4.50 per dose. These same vaccines are often sold for more than $100 in developed countries. The lowest public sector price reported before was $13 per dose.

The HPV vaccine is widely given around the world to girls in mostly wealthy nations. However, there remain 275,000 women internationally who die of cervical cancer each year, over 85% of them are in low-income nations, where the prevalence of HPV infection is higher and fewer women have access to treatment and testing.

In the United States, the HPV vaccine is strongly recommended by healthcare professionals. However, a study showed recently that parents were not having their daughters vaccinated because they believed the vaccine was unsafe or pointless. Additionally, a separate study has found that young women are more motivated by STD than cancer protection when getting the HPV vaccine.

Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance explained:

“A vast health gap currently exists between girls in rich and poor countries. With GAVI’s programmes we can begin to bridge that gap so that all girls can be protected against cervical cancer no matter where they are born. By 2020 we hope to reach more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries. This is a transformational moment for the health of women and girls across the world. We thank the manufacturers for working with us to help make this happen.”

GAVI will start administering the available HPV vaccines in Kenya as early as this month,and then in the following nations:

  • Ghana
  • Lao PDR
  • Malawi
  • Niger
  • Madagascar
  • Sierra Leone
  • United Republic of Tanzania

Each country will have the opportunity to show their ability to put a plan into action and run national programs for pre-adolescents. Next year, GAVI will also oversee HPV vaccines in Rwanda. Vaccinating girls aged 9 to 13 gives experts a chance to reach pre-teens with education on sexual health, HIV prevention, and nutrition.

In addition to helping bring the price of the vaccine down, GAVI has also aided in putting into action a plan that implements the vaccine schedule in just six years. Since the start of accepting applications for HPV vaccines support in 2012, GAVI has received significant demand with 15 nations applying last year and more than 15 to 20 nations expected this year.

Dr Richard Sezibera, Secretary General of the East African Community, GAVI Board member and former Health Minister of Rwanda said

“Developing countries bear an increasing burden of cervical cancer and it is only right that our girls should have the same protection as girls in other countries. In Africa, where facilities to diagnose and treat cervical cancer are few and far between, HPV vaccines will mean the difference between life and death for so many women in the prime of their lives.”

UNICEF as a partner to GAVI has run a public tender process and will now buy HPV vaccines from Merck & Co. at US $4.50 per dose and from GlaxoSmithKline at US$4.60 per dose from 2013 to 2017.

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald