The Global HPV Consortium, a worldwide public and private collaboration focused on accelerating prevention of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and eliminating cervical cancer, has been launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Sabin Vaccine Institute will lead the Consortium as its Secretariat.

“We are building a new ecosystem in global public health,” said Anuradha Gupta, President of Global Immunization at Sabin. “We aim to create and implement a strategic roadmap focused on improving access and adoption of the tools in our HPV prevention arsenal – vaccines, screening, and treatment of precancerous lesions.”

Cervical cancer affects more than 600,00 women each year. It kills approximately 350,000 women annually, is increasing in frequency, and is highly preventable with the HPV vaccine. Almost 90% of the deaths from cervical cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries, where resources including secondary prevention such as screening and treatment, are limited. Without action, cervical cancer is projected to increase almost 50% by 2040.

The Consortium brings together a transdisciplinary alliance of public and private stakeholders, including organisations working on vaccination, cancer-control, non-communicable diseases, HIV, reproductive and adolescent health, gender equity and women empowerment. Joining the launch are country leaders, policy makers, implementers, researchers, youth advocates, women champions, non-profits, and industry representatives including manufacturers of vaccines, syringes, cold-chain, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

These goals support the groundbreaking 2018 World Health Organization Initiative to end cervical cancer –the first cancer targeted for elimination – and the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 strategy of 90 percent of women vaccinated, 70 percent screened, and 90 percent treated by 2030.