Posted by GAVI
Human papillomavirus vaccine will spare millions of women from threat of cervical cancer
Dhaka, 15 November 2011 – The United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon has underlined the critical importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to the success of the Every Woman Every Child campaign, which aims to improve women’s and children’s health around the world.
“In June GAVI received over four billion dollars in pledges,” said Ban-Ki Moon, speaking at the start of this week’s GAVI Alliance Board meeting in Bangladesh.
“These funds … can deliver a promise of a future free from the threat of cervical cancer to millions of young women thanks to the HPV vaccine. This is critical to the Every Woman Every Child campaign.”
Safe and effective
Safe and effective vaccines offer protection against types 16 and 18 of HPV, which together cause some 70% of all cervical cancer cases — a leading cause of cancer in women worldwide, claiming 275,000 lives in 2008.
“Immunisation is at the centre of the Every Woman Every Child Strategy and this Alliance is at the centre of immunisation,” said GAVI Board Chair Dagfinn Hoybraten, welcoming the Secretary-General’s comments.
Ban-Ki Moon is visiting Bangladesh to showcase the country’s leadership in the Every Woman Every Child campaign, which aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children.
[Note from SaneVax: Where is the common sense? If the United Nations were truly concerned about the health of ‘Every Woman-Every Child,’ they would look at cervical cancer prevention from a different angle. Yes, cervical cancer is a worldwide threat to women’s health.
However, the vast majority of newly diagnosed cases of cervical cancer occur in underdeveloped countries, most of which do not have access to medical facilities. Access to medical facilities and good gynecological care has already been proven to be a safe and effective means of controlling cervical cancer. Access to pap screening is required after HPV vaccination, regardless.
Why not take the $4 billion in pledges and invest in medical training and facilities? That strategy would not only reduce the cases of cervical cancer deaths, but also increase access to adequate medical care ‘Every woman – Every child’ need to improve their overall health!
On the other hand, HPV vaccinations will not be proven to reduce the world’s cervical cancer burden for decades. The choice should be simple – a real no-brainer.]
This action will not just improve the population health but also give a boost to the economy, creating work places, and reducing the heavy costs of cancer treatments, doing the prevention in the right way, saves money, lives, and avoids the embarrassment of dealing with the consequences of the devastating side effects of a not well known vaccine, why change something that has been proven to work with prevention of cervical cancer, that for sure I can say will save millions in all the ways and meaning. Action smiling to the future.
You are so right! Long-term prevention and treatment versus long-term uncertainty – not to mention the fringe benefits you pointed out. Every woman and child around the globe could benefit if those in charge would only use some common sense.