Merck, Qiagen launch Rwandan cervical cancer deal
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Rwanda, with more women dying from the disease than any other cancer, including breast and ovarian cancer.
Prevention strategies are considered crucial, particularly since there are huge infrastructure and cost barriers to cancer treatment in Africa.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and was expected to kill 328,000 this year. Merck said current estimates indicated that every year in Rwanda, 986 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 678 died from it, and these numbers were expected to nearly double by 2025.
Rwandan Health Minister Dr Richard Sezibera said the vaccination programme would bring his country one step closer to being able to protect girls and women from cervical cancer.
"It is our goal to create a comprehensive, coordinated programme that includes HPV vaccination, cancer screening with HPV DNA testing and treatment," he said in a statement.
Rival drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline also makes a vaccine against HPV, called Cervarix.
Many wealthy countries have started HPV immunisation programmes with these shots for girls before they become sexually active, but the vaccines are generally too expensive and inaccessible for most people living in poorer nations.
The global vaccines alliance GAVI, which funds bulk-buy vaccination programmes in developing countries where governments cannot afford to buy shots at Western prices, has said it would be keen to fund HPV vaccines in the future. Shortages of international donor funds meant it was focused on providing rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccination campaigns first.
When its HPV vaccination programme for girls begins on Monday, Rwanda will become the first GAVI-eligible country to start a nationwide cervical cancer prevention programme. The screening of women will start later this year.
Feinberg said Merck and Qiagen were also in talks with several other poorer countries, mainly in Africa, about reaching similar agreements in the future.
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