MADRID– The director general of the World Health Organization (OMS), Dr. Tedros Adhanom, called on the vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) to eliminate the cervical cancer that causes “the death of a woman every two minutes in Africa” and that “it is the only cancer that can be eliminated thanks to HPV vaccines, responsible for the vast majority of cases.”
“I call on everyone who can contribute to take cervical cancer really seriously and join the elimination effort,” he said during the WHO press conference held this Wednesday in which has detailed that “cervical cancer is one of the main causes of death among women, especially in Africa.”
Almost three years ago, WHO launched a global initiative to eliminate cervical cancer by expanding access to vaccination, screening and treatment for women in all countries. And, a year ago, the WHO recommended that a dose of the HPV vaccine It offers protection comparable to two doses for girls and women, explained Dr. Adhanom.
For his part, vice-president of the director-general’s expert group for the elimination of cervical cancer, Professor Groesbeck Parham, highlighted that “the areas of the world where the burden is greatest are where the poorest and most marginalized women reside.”
In this sense, the expert insisted on increasing aid to implement the three pillars of the global strategy against cervical cancer, which are: vaccination of girls against HPV, cervical cancer screening of adult women, and treatment of women in whom a precancer or invasive cancer is discovered.
“Countries should put special emphasis on the implementation of the three pillars: we know how to vaccinate girls, how to surgically treat women whose cancer is discovered early, we know how to provide radiotherapy to cure the large number of women who had an advanced disease,” he declared.
Thus, he noted that “fewer guidelines are needed, less WHO guidance, but more resources that focus on supporting field workers in countries that have the highest disease burden.”
“Secondly, the three pillars must be applied collectively, not only the HPV vaccination of girls. Also, the screening of adult women, and a certain percentage of those women who are screened are going to have invasive cancer, as well that they should have the infrastructure, they should be present to treat these women,” she added.
On the other hand, Professor Parham stressed the importance of creating an “information center that makes it easier for countries to share their successes.”
Regarding this point, the specialist highlighted the cases of Rwanda, which “has had great success in vaccination with more than 90 percent of its young people vaccinated”; Zambia, Malawi and Lesotho, which “have figured out how to screen large numbers of women in some of the poorest settings in the world.”
As well as the radiotherapy centers in Tanzania and Uganda, which “have existed for decades and have managed to offer radiotherapy to women with advanced disease.” In addition, there are new surgical training models “that allow surgeons to train in their home environment to prevent them from leaving.”
“I am convinced that this disease can be eliminated. I never thought it was possible, but from what I have seen in the last four or five years, I am convinced that it can be if we focus on the frontline workers and help them get what they need to implement HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening and treatment,” he concluded.
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FUENTE: Europa Press
2023-09-29 15:40:00
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