Eliminating HPV Globally: From Strategy to Implementation

Cervical cancer is a disease that exemplifies global inequalities to a significant extent. Each year, more than 600,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed globally. Around 90% of the approximately 342,000 deaths resulting from cervical cancer in 2020 took place in low- and middle-income countries (LICs/LMICs).

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for over 95% of all cases of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer among women worldwide, but it is preventable and curable if detected early and managed effectively. HPV additionally causes anal, penile, oropharyngeal, vulval, vaginal, and other cancers. At least 10%, and possibly up to 40%, of cancers caused by HPV are in men.

The global coverage of the first dose of HPV vaccine in girls is only 15%, and the COVID-19 pandemic fueled the largest continued backslide in vaccination and screening. While in high-income countries people can be vaccinated against HPV and women have access to regular screening and treatment, this is not the reality in LICs and LMICs. Moreover, males are currently excluded from most HPV vaccination programs. Gender-neutral vaccination would protect women and men and accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed an aspirational strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem (Global strategy towards eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2020), aiming to increase HPV vaccination to 90%, twice-lifetime cervical screening to 70%, and treatment of pre-invasive lesions and invasive cancer to 90%.

In line with the global strategy as well as Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the WFPHA, the Union for International Cancer Control, and the European Cancer Organisation organized a World Leadership Dialogue (WLD) session “Eliminating HPV Globally: From Strategy to Implementation” during the 17th World Congress on Public Health (WCPH), on May 02 to 06, 2023, to provide a platform for health leaders from governments, United Nations agencies, the private sector, civil society, and patients to share progress and challenges toward eliminating all HPV-related cancers.

This WLD session is organized to highlight progress towards the WHO’s 90-70-90 cervical cancer elimination goals; to discuss the determinants of health that limit women’s access to health services, screening, and treatment, starting from the real experience of some countries; to consider the merits of gender-neutral HPV vaccination; and to create a sense of urgency to direct policy decisions toward concrete actions to prevent and treat HPV-related diseases and to increase investments to scale access to these tools.

During this WLD session, health leaders listen to and discuss with communities and policymakers to define the best approaches and leverages to implement concrete actions based on the WHO global strategy to prevent and treat HPV locally and worldwide and to facilitate intersectoral collaborations to achieve this common goal.

#WorldinTurmoil: Prioritize Primary Healthcare, Public Health, & Collaboration with Communities: Lessons from Costa Rica & the Pandemic

Few countries can be proud of having comprehensive primary healthcare. One of these countries is Costa Rica. Costa Rica is an example of political commitment and strong leadership. It is a country that has put public health as a priority, and the investments and efforts that the government has made over the last 25 years have borne fruit, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr María del Rocío Sáenz Madrigal, who was Minister of Health in Costa Rica from 2002 until 2006, is interviewed by Prof. Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the WFPHA, and talks about how the pandemic showed and exacerbated inequalities, especially for women, in Latin America, measures implemented by Costa Rica, and what it takes to have a strong public health system.

By clicking on the link below, you can read the article on the Croakey Health Media website.

Watch the interview by clicking on the link below.

This article is published as part of the #WorldinTurmoil series.

Interview

Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine Project: Working Groups

Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (IC2PerMed) project aims to support European Union (EU)-China collaboration over the developments of personalized medicine research, innovations, and policies through the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (ICPerMed) initiative, providing people with access to personalized, smart, and inclusive healthcare solutions in the near future.

Three Working Groups support the IC2PerMed project. These Working Groups are composed of experts balanced between EU and Chinese stakeholders and genders.

The first Working Group’s activities focus on the awareness and empowerment of citizens and patients, the education and curricula of healthcare professionals, and healthcare sustainability.

The second Working Group’s activities focus on Big Data and ICT solutions and bringing innovation to market.

The third Working Group’s activities focus on translating basic clinical research and beyond and on research funding.

These Working Groups work together to reach the IC2PerMed project’s core objectives.

WFPHA is one of the key partners in the IC2PerMed project.

Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine Project: Main Goals

Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (IC2PerMed) project aims to support European Union (EU)-China collaboration over the developments of personalized medicine research, innovations, and policies through the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (ICPerMed) initiative, providing people with access to personalized, smart, and inclusive healthcare solutions in the near future.

The IC2PerMed project’s core objective is to:

• Map policies, programs, standards, and initiatives related to personalized medicine in Europe and China to identify opportunities for research collaborations.
• Structure the developments of an ecosystem of European and Chinese experts, collaborating to foster actionable approaches.
• Exemplify research collaboration frameworks between China and Europe for personalized medicine by connecting biobanks.
• Set strong bridges with key official organisms involved in the definition and implementation of personalized medicine and healthcare systems in both economic areas in international contexts through relevant initiatives and networks.

WFPHA is one of the key partners in the IC2PerMed project.

WFPHA Attended Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intersessional Process for Considering SAICM and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020

In 2006, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was adopted as a voluntary, multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral policy framework to promote chemical safety around the world. The goal of the SAICM is to achieve the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that by the year 2020 chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health. As the SAICM effectively expired in 2020, governments have been examining progress towards that goal and discussing SAICM’s future beyond 2020.

During the fourth session of the Intersessional Process for Considering the SAICM and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020 (IP4), which was held from August 29 to September 2, 2022, in Bucharest, Romania, delegates agreed to suspend IP4 and reconvene in early 2023. The Resumed Session of IP4 was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 27 to March 3, 2023.

WFPHA attended the Resumed Session of IP4 along with approximately 500 delegates, representing governments, intergovernmental organizations, industry, civil society organizations, and special constituencies including children and youth. WFPHA was represented by four members of its Environmental Health Working Group (EHWG), including Liz Hanna (EHWG Chair), Peter Orris (EHWG Past Chair), Susan Wilburn (Health Care Without Harm), and Andrea Hannah Rother (the University of Cape Town).

The Resumed Session of IP4 made substantial progress on implementation mechanisms for the new instrument, capacity building, stocktaking, measurability and modalities for considering new issues of concern. The WFPHA delegation actively engaged in the plenary discussions and thematic groups to ensure the principles of human health protection remained central to the focus of the new instrument. The civil society collective presented powerful arguments and successfully interjected to retain ambitious targets and text to prioritize protection of human health and the environment.

Delegates also worked hard to elaborate ambitious targets for the instrument, and determine what issues should be the subject of draft resolutions to be adopted at the Fifth ICCM (ICCM5) to be held in Bonn, Germany, in September 2023. Several delegations have also signaled that they want ICCM5 to consider mandating the creation of a new alliance on pesticides or negotiations on an international code of conduct on chemicals.

Reaching consensus is a highly ambitious aim, especially for a lengthy instrument, and one that addresses national responsibilities to protect human health and the environment from harm. Key portions of the draft instrument required further work before they are put before ICCM5, so it was decided to suspend the IP again and reconvene two days before the start of ICCM5.

Given the contribution to the global health burden, both directly through exposure and indirectly through environmental contamination from poor chemical management, the re-engagement of the EHWG in the SAICM process reaffirmed the importance of consolidated public health expert involvement in global chemical management. Through the EHWG, the WFPHA intends to sustain its involvement.