The Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2024 will be held in Hong Kong as a hybrid conference on 27-29 June 2024. During Parallel Session 5: Women’s Health – HPV, Professor Shenglan Tang from Duke Kunshan University will deliver a presentation titled “Implementation / Policy of HPV Vaccination”.

Ahead of the conference, Professor Shenglan Tang told Infectious Diseases Frontier that in this presentation, he will introduce the following regarding the implementation and policy interpretation of HPV vaccination in the Asia-Pacific region:

This presentation addresses the implementation strategies and policies for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to prevent women from suffering from cervical cancer – the third most common cancer among women worldwide, with an estimated 662,000 new cases and 349,000 deaths globally in 2022, disproportionately affecting regions such as Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global strategy in 2020 to eliminate cervical cancer, proposing that 90% of girls be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15, 70% of women to be screened by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of those with the cervical disease to receive treatment. However, the global HPV vaccine coverage has been low, with only 21% of girls receiving the first dose and 15% receiving the second dose.

In the Asia-Pacific, there is a marked disparity in cervical cancer burden, with higher incidence and mortality rates in Pacific Island nations compared to high-income countries. To improve coverage, the updated WHO recommendations suggest a two-dose schedule for girls aged 9 to 14, with options for a single-dose schedule for those aged 9 to 20. The implementation of HPV vaccines in the region faces several challenges, including financing, logistical issues, vaccine hesitancy, and disparities in healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, strategic partnerships with organizations such as The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) are crucial, as they support HPV vaccination as one of their highest-impact vaccines, contributing to gender equity and strengthening adolescent immunization platforms. The presentation emphasizes the need for multi-faceted approaches to address these challenges, such as integrating HPV vaccination into primary healthcare and prioritizing immunocompromised populations. Ensuring high-quality and sustainable vaccination programs is essential for reducing the cervical cancer burden and achieving global health targets.

For more exciting content, please stay tuned to the APACC conference and Infectious Diseases Frontier’s coverage.

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Last updated on 2024.06.20