HPV vaccine support by GAVI example of 'equity in health'

Dec 22 2011

Noting that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes 70 percent of cervical cancer cases worldwide, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former GAVI Alliance Board chair, writes in this BMJ Group Blogs post that the GAVI Alliance's decision to support the introduction of HPV vaccine among women in developing countries "is an important example of how we must continue to strive for equity in health. And it will help ensure that the world's less-privileged women remain the strength behind their children, their families, and their communities." However, she says that vaccine manufacturers must further reduce vaccine prices for it to remain sustainable, and questions remain about whether some nations have the infrastructure to reach the goal of vaccinating nearly two million girls by 2015 (12/20).