The United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam (UNFPA) in collaboration with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (Ministry of Health), Victoria University and the Daffodil Institute (Australia) have just announced a study on the effectiveness of HPV vaccination investment in Vietnam.
LOW VACCINATION AND SCREENING RATES
The study comprehensively analyzed different scenarios of HPV vaccination, screening and treatment of cervical cancer based on validated data, analyzed the cost-effectiveness, socio-economic benefits of vaccination and progress towards eradication of the disease.
Research shows that in Vietnam, the rate of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening is still low. According to the Sustainable Development Goal Indicators Survey on Women and Children conducted by the General Statistics Office in 2021 with the support of UNFPA and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), only 12% of women and girls aged 15-29 have been vaccinated, and only 28% of women aged 30-49 have been screened for cervical cancer.
Research shows that Vietnam can completely eliminate cervical cancer in the next 30 years if HPV vaccination is implemented for 90% of adolescent girls; 70% of women are screened for cervical cancer; and 90% of women with precancer or cervical cancer are fully treated. If HPV vaccination is combined with early screening and treatment, Vietnam can eliminate cervical cancer in just 29 years, sooner than if HPV vaccination alone is promoted.
Ms. Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, commented: "The authentic evidence presented in the study will be a signal for policy makers, health experts, civil society organizations, and researchers to implement cervical cancer prevention plans, while promoting efforts towards a future without this cancer in Vietnam. UNFPA is committed to supporting the Government of Vietnam and partners to implement HPV vaccination in Vietnam."
INCLUDING HPV VACCINE INTO THE EXPANDED IMMUNE PROGRAM
Cervical cancer is caused by infection with the HPV virus (Human papillomavirus). According to UNFPA, this disease is currently a major public health concern globally, including in Vietnam. In 2018, cervical cancer ranked 6th in the list of most common cancers among Vietnamese women, with 4,200 new cases and 2,420 deaths.
Cervical cancer is completely preventable. With the goal of eliminating this disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on all countries in the world to take specific measures to ensure that 90% of girls under the age of 15 are vaccinated against HPV; 70% of women under the age of 35 are screened using highly accurate tests, retested before the age of 45, and to ensure treatment for 90% of women detected with pre-cancer and 90% of women with invasive cancer by 2030.
Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Thi Hong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, shared: Scientific evidence is the basis for building optimal strategies for cervical cancer prevention in Vietnam. In Vietnam, the Government's Resolution has allowed an increase in the number of vaccines in the expanded immunization program, in which HPV vaccine will be included in this list from 2026. When synchronizing solutions: HPV vaccination, early detection screening, early treatment, we can eliminate cervical cancer in the future.
Previously, with an expanded vaccination system covering the whole country and ensuring vaccine sources with a high vaccination rate, Vietnam has eradicated polio and eliminated neonatal tetanus.
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