THIS DAWN — A major global effort led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, alongside lower-income countries, has surpassed its target to expand access to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine—preventing more than one million cervical cancer deaths and protecting an estimated 86 million girls.
The milestone, announced on the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, reflects a rapid revitalisation of Gavi’s HPV programme begun in 2023.
According to Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sania Nishtar, the achievement underscores a historic stride in combating a disease that claims a woman’s life every two minutes, despite being largely preventable.
She credited the early success to strong collaboration among governments, partners, civil society, and communities across Gavi-supported countries.
Cervical cancer disproportionately affects lower-income nations.
These account for 90% of the 350,000 global deaths recorded in 2022.
Limited screening and treatment capacity make prevention through vaccination even more critical.
The HPV vaccine, which protects against the primary cause of cervical cancer, is highly effective, averting an estimated 17.4 deaths per 1,000 vaccinated children.
13 million girls vaccinated in Africa
When Gavi launched its HPV programme in 2014, global coverage remained low due to supply shortages, delivery challenges, and weak awareness.
In Africa, coverage stood at only 4%. By 2022, 13 million girls had been vaccinated with Gavi support, but global coverage was still just 14%.
In response, Gavi announced an ambitious plan to protect 86 million girls by 2025.
That target has now been reached ahead of schedule, with Africa’s coverage rising sharply to 44% by the end of 2024, surpassing Europe’s 38%.
By the end of 2025, the HPV vaccine will be available in countries accounting for 89% of all cervical cancer cases.
The expanded vaccination effort is projected to prevent 1.4 million deaths.
It has also generated US$2.32 billion in economic benefits across 43 countries.
This progress was driven by Gavi’s market-shaping approach, which reduced vaccine costs to as low as US$2.90 per dose—compared to over US$100 elsewhere and by WHO’s 2022 recommendation of a single-dose schedule.
It enables countries to double reach with available supply.
Gavi plans to support up to seven additional countries in introducing the vaccine soon.
Meanwhile, new nationwide campaigns are already underway in Sierra Leone and Liberia to expand protection to older girls who previously missed out.
