Preventing Cervical Cancer in Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Guinea-Bissau
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Introduction of the HPV vaccine in Sao Tome and Principe. Credit: Gavi/2017/Thierry Vincent
This piece originally ran on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s VaccinesWork website. Read the full piece.
By Sarah Denison-Johnston, Betuel Sigaúque, Wendy Prosser, Florence Cossa, and Marta Chemne
On 24 June, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) managers and partners from Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Guinea-Bissau gathered online for a virtual “coffee chat” to share lessons from their experiences of introducing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
“Despite having the same language, these three countries have different socioeconomic, geographic, political and cultural contexts, which – in a way – influence the implementation of vaccination programmes,” explains Betuel Sigaúque, Country Project Director for JSI/Mozambique. “And yet, all three countries share the aim of accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer and reducing maternal mortality from cervical cancer.”
There are many strains of HPV, some of which are known to cause cancers. Cervical cancer is the most prevalent form of HPV-linked cancer, and without early diagnosis and timely treatment, it often proves fatal – especially for people living with HIV. In 2018, 19 of the top 20 countries with the highest rates of cervical cancer were in sub-Saharan Africa. But the disease is also preventable: the HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way to block HPV transmission and head off the threat of cervical cancer.