A major global effort led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, alongside lower-income countries, has successfully expanded access to the HPV vaccine and reached its target ahead of schedule. This achievement has helped protect an estimated 86 million girls in the world’s highest-risk countries from cervical cancer and is projected to prevent around 1.4 million future deaths. By the end of 2025, the HPV vaccine will be available in countries where nearly 89% of global cervical cancer cases occur.
Announced on the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, this milestone reflects a rapid revitalisation of Gavi’s HPV programme, which began in 2023. Gavi’s CEO highlighted that a woman dies every two minutes from cervical cancer, despite it being highly preventable. The renewed programme, supported by governments, civil society, and global partners, has now surpassed its goal earlier than expected. As a result, more than one million cervical cancer deaths have been averted, and millions of girls are now protected from one of the deadliest diseases affecting women.
Cervical cancer disproportionately affects lower-income countries, where screening and treatment remain limited. These regions account for about 90% of the 350,000 global deaths recorded in 2022. The HPV vaccine, which prevents infection by the main cause of cervical cancer, is extremely effective and can avert an estimated 17.4 deaths per 1,000 vaccinated children. Despite this, access remained unequal a decade ago due to supply shortages, limited delivery strategies, and low awareness.
Gavi first launched its HPV vaccine programme in 2014, but uptake remained far below global needs. By 2022, although 13 million girls had been vaccinated in Gavi-supported countries, global coverage was just 14%, and Africa’s was only 15%. To address this, Gavi spearheaded a major expansion beginning in 2023, coordinating efforts with national governments and partners to improve access, delivery, and demand. By 2024, Africa’s HPV coverage reached 44%, surpassing Europe’s, while coverage across all Gavi-supported countries rose to 25%, up from only 8% two years earlier.
The HPV vaccine rollout has also delivered significant economic benefits. Across 43 lower-income countries, Gavi’s HPV programme has generated over US$ 2.3 billion in economic gains since 2014, thanks to reduced illness and death, improved productivity, and strengthened community resilience. These advances were made possible through market-shaping strategies that reduced vaccine prices to between US$ 2.90 and US$ 5.18 per dose in Gavi-supported countries, compared with over US$ 100 in higher-income nations. Manufacturers increased supply after Gavi secured guaranteed volumes, while global partners invested in research, delivery strategies, and critical evidence demonstrating that a single-dose schedule is effective, doubling the reach of existing supply.
Momentum continues to grow as additional countries prepare to introduce HPV vaccines into their national immunisation programmes. New large-scale vaccination campaigns in Sierra Leone and Liberia are now extending protection to older adolescents who previously missed out. These efforts bring the world closer to ensuring equitable access to the HPV vaccine and eliminating cervical cancer as a global public health threat.
