Uzbekistan starts vaccinating girls against human papillomavirus

A press conference dedicated to the beginning of vaccination against human papillomavirus was held in the capital. It was organized by the Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF offices in Uzbekistan.

Cervical cancer is one of the most serious threats to women's health. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in women worldwide. For example, in 2018, there were about 570 thousand new cases of this disease. Every year, more than 311 thousand women die from cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women of all ages in Uzbekistan, after breast cancer and the second most common cause of death for women of fertile age after breast cancer. WHO estimates that 1,660 women in Uzbekistan develop cervical cancer every year. Thus, the burden of diseases associated with the papilloma virus is high.

Our country has been preparing for the introduction of HPV vaccine in the national vaccination calendar for several years. In particular, 8 thousand girls aged 9 to 15 were vaccinated against HPV in 2010 in the Republic. Vaccination of girls is carried out at the expense of the state.

As noted at the event, WHO recommends that the HPV vaccine be included in all national immunization programmes. 96 countries around the world have now included HPV vaccines in their national immunization programs, including most countries in Europe like the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland. More than 100 million people have been vaccinated worldwide since 2006.

During the press conference, national and international experts presented the latest researches in the field of prevention and treatment of cervical cancer, experience in the introduction of HPV vaccine in other countries.