NAIROBI, Kenya- In a major step toward eradicating cervical cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a new single-dose HPV vaccine, Cecolin®.
This marks the fourth HPV vaccine to receive WHO prequalification, a crucial milestone expected to expand access to millions of girls in low and middle-income countries.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the significance of this approval.
“Unlike most other cancers, we have the ability to eliminate cervical cancer, along with its painful inequities,” he stated. “By adding another option for a one-dose HPV vaccination schedule, we have taken another step closer to consigning cervical cancer to history.”
Cervical cancer is primarily caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), responsible for over 95pc of the 660,000 global cases each year.
Shockingly, every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, with 90pc of these deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries, making access to this vaccine even more critical.
Supply shortages have hindered HPV vaccination efforts since 2018, leaving millions of girls without protection.
The introduction of Cecolin® and the shift to a single-dose vaccination schedule are expected to alleviate these challenges, especially in regions where access to healthcare is limited.
By September 2024, 57 countries had adopted the single-dose schedule, a sharp increase from the 37 in 2023.
WHO reports that this transition has enabled 6 million more girls to receive the HPV vaccine in just the past year. The organization aims to vaccinate 90pc of girls by the age of 15 by 2030, and this latest approval of Cecolin® is seen as a vital step toward achieving that goal .
The approval of Cecolin® comes on the heels of WHO’s prequalification of another HPV vaccine, Walrinvax®, which is recommended for a two-dose schedule.
Together, these vaccines provide more flexible options for countries facing varying healthcare infrastructure and logistical challenges.
With this new addition, the global fight against cervical cancer has gained momentum. WHO’s commitment to making the HPV vaccine more accessible signals hope for the millions of girls at risk of cervical cancer, particularly in Africa, where 19 out of the 20 most affected countries are located .
