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GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINES

Wednesday, 13th of July 2011

• GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINES
  

Full text at http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/pdf/1475-9276-10-27.pdf

Janice E Graham 1*§, Amrita Mishra*2

1 Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine, 1459 Oxford

Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2

Phone: (902) 494-1897, Fax: (902) 494-3865.

2 Technoscience and Regulation Research Unit, 1459 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova

Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2, Phone: (902) 494-6733, Fax: (902) 494-3865.

 

* These authors contributed equally to this work

§Corresponding author

Email addresses:

JG: janice.graham@dal.ca

AM: amrita.mishra@dal.ca

 

Abstract

 

Human Papillomavirus vaccines are widely hailed as a sweeping pharmaceutical

innovation for the universal benefit of all women. The implementation of the

vaccines, however, is far from universal or equitable. Socio-economically

marginalized women in emerging and developing, and many advanced economies

alike, suffer a disproportionately large burden of cervical cancer. Despite the

marketing of Human Papillomavirus vaccines as the solution to cervical cancer, the

market authorization (licensing) of the vaccines has not translated into universal

equitable access. Vaccine implementation for vulnerable girls and women faces

multiple barriers that include high vaccine costs, inadequate delivery infrastructure,

and lack of community engagement to generate awareness about cervical cancer and

early screening tools. For Human Papillomavirus vaccines to work as a public health

solution, the quality-assured delivery of cheaper vaccines must be integrated with

strengthened capacity for community-based health education and screening.