More than one million cervical cancer deaths have been prevented in low-income countries thanks to the HPV vaccine, Gavi revealed on Monday as the world commemorated the first Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
The alliance noted that an estimated 86 million girls are now protected against the leading cause of cervical cancer. Gavi’s CEO, Sania Nishtar, said the achievement followed a three-year effort launched in 2023 to revitalise the HPV vaccination programme.
“Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer, a disease that is both devastating and largely preventable. Thanks to strong commitment from countries, partners, civil society, and communities, we have reached our target ahead of schedule”, Nishtar said.
She highlighted that cervical cancer strikes hardest in lower-income countries, which accounted for 90 percent of the 350,000 global deaths recorded in 2022. The HPV vaccine remains highly effective, preventing 17.4 deaths for every 1,000 children vaccinated, according to Gavi.
By the end of 2025, the vaccine is expected to be available in countries representing 89 percent of global cervical cancer cases. Coverage in Africa rose to 44 percent in 2024, surpassing Europe’s 38 percent, while coverage across all Gavi-supported countries increased to 25 percent, up from eight percent in 2022.
She added that up to seven more countries are expected to introduce the HPV vaccine into their national immunisation programmes in the coming months, while ongoing campaigns in Sierra Leone and Liberia are extending protection to girls aged up to 18 years.
Since 2014, Gavi’s HPV vaccination programme has generated over $2.3 billion in economic benefits across 43 low-income countries. Nishtar said this progress was driven by affordable vaccine pricing, expanded supply, adoption of a single-dose schedule, and large-scale campaigns targeting adolescent girls.
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