Health

High time to invest in scaling up HPV vaccination: study

Comprehensive investment in vaccinations against human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer screening and treatment can yield substantial socio-economic returns and eliminate the disease in Vietnam.
High time to invest in scaling up HPV vaccination: study ảnh 1Representatives attend the conference declaring key findings of the Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Comprehensive investment in vaccinations against humanpapillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer screening and treatment can yieldsubstantial socio-economic returns and eliminate the disease in Vietnam.

This is the conclusion of the Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Vietnam,which was announced in Hanoi on May 10.

The study was undertaken by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) incollaboration with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE)under the Ministry of Health and Victoria University and Daffodil Institute inAustralia.

Cervical cancer caused by HPV is a major public health concern worldwide,including in Vietnam. In 2018, cervical cancer was the sixth most common canceramong Vietnamese women, with nearly 4,200 new cases and 2,420 deaths.

In Vietnam, the HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening rates are low.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Survey on Women and Children, whichwas conducted by the General Statistics Office in 2021 with support from UNFPAand UNICEF, showed that only 12% of women and girls aged 15-29 are vaccinatedand only 28% of women aged 30-49 have been screened so far.

The study reveals that it is possible that Vietnam can eliminate cervicalcancer in the next 30 years if HPV vaccination is scaled up to cover 90% ofadolescent girls, 70% of women receive HPV-based screening, and 90% of womenwith pre-cancer and invasive cervical cancer receive adequate treatment.

The comprehensive combination of HPV vaccination, screening and treatment couldeliminate cervical cancer in the country 29 years earlier than only HPVvaccination intervention.

The study estimates that one dollar invested in cervical cancer preventionprogrammes can return between 5-11 USD in terms of economic benefits andbetween 8-20 USD when economic and social benefits are combined.

Naomi Kitahara, the UNFPA Representative for Vietnam, said: “UNFPA recommendsthe Government of Vietnam rolling out HPV vaccination for adolescent girls andcervical cancer screening and treatment for women. With the government'sapproval, provinces with good income can start rolling out the HPV vaccinationprogramme using the provincial budget before it is included in the NationalExpanded Immunisation Programme in 2026.”

“UNFPA is fully committed to supporting the Government of Vietnam and itspartners in rolling out HPV vaccination in the country,” she said.

Associate professor Duong Thi Hong, deputy director of the NIHE, said: “Thestudy provides strong evidence on the cost-effectiveness and the returnof-investment as well as the estimated timeline for cervical cancer eliminationin Vietnam. This scientific evidence is worthwhile for the Government toconsider for allocating required resources to develop optimal strategies oncervical cancer prevention and control.”./.
VNA
#human papillomavirus (HPV) #cervical cancer screening #United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) #NIHE #Vietnam #Vietnam news #Vietnam News Agency
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