By Nelly R Mugo
Amid a global shortage of HPV vaccine, more must be done to steer supplies towards those most at risk: girls in poor countries
For too many women, cervical cancer is a death sentence. But it doesn’t have to be. A life-saving preventative vaccine can dramatically cut cases and put the world on track to eliminate this deadly disease.
The UK first began offering a vaccine against HPV – the primary cause of cervical cancer – in 2008. According to a 2018 study by Public Health England, infections of certain cancer-causing types of HPV have since fallen by 86% among 16- to 21-year-old women. A study conducted in Scotland last year found that the vaccine reduced pre-cancerous cervical lesions by up to 90%.
Source: Women can be protected from cervical cancer – so why aren’t we doing it?
