Health experts called for strengthening vaccination for human papilloma virus among teenage girls and ramping up production of HPV vaccines as China joined the global initiative to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer.

▲ A woman is inoculated with a cervical cancer vaccine in Jing'an county in Yichun, Jiangxi province on April 10, 2021. [Photo/VCG]

Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with human papillomavirus, which itself is a preventable and curable disease. The World Health Organization pledged in November 2020 to speed up the elimination of cervical cancer through expanding vaccination, testing and treatment, and China released an action plan in January echoing the WHO's commitment.

Zhao Fanghui, a professor at the National Cancer Center and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences' Cancer Hospital, said that China registered about 109,000 new cervical cancer cases and 59,000 related deaths in 2020, and each number accounted for about one-fifth of the world's total.

"If cervical cancer cannot be eliminated in China, the world's progress will be affected, so our efforts are being watched globally," she said during a seminar held by Peking University this month.

Zhao said a study led by her team showed that many medical resources were spent treating advanced cervical cancer in the past, while there was plenty of room for improvement in promoting vaccination and early screening.

The key, she said, is to shift from a treatment-centered approach to a prevention-centered one, and invest more in early prevention, especially introducing vaccines for young girls.

HPV vaccines work best when delivered at around 9 to 15 years old. Globally, over 126 countries have added HPV vaccination to their national immunizations.

Although China has not begun offering free HPV vaccination on a national level, Zhao said that a pilot program rolled out in March 2021 in 15 cities has so far yielded positive outcomes and won applause from the public.

"More cities and provinces, such as Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan, have begun providing free HPV vaccination," she said. "The experiences of pilot regions should be distributed widely to help expand the campaign."

This month, Jiangxi province announced that it will start offering free vaccines for all eligible girls under 14, making it the fifth provincial-level region across China to implement the initiative.

Zhao said that local governments usually confront challenges in securing vaccine supplies and funds.

"Our suggestion is that when vaccine supplies and funds are insufficient, they can choose to vaccinate a smaller age range first, such as vaccinating only 14-year-olds," she said. "This can also reduce cases and expenditures dedicated to treatment in the future."

On Jan 21, the National Health Commission, along with nine other government departments, released an action plan that lays out key measures aimed at speeding up the elimination of cervical cancer from this year to 2030.

The document encouraged more developed regions to trial HPV vaccination. For less developed areas, it requested exploring various funding channels to support HPV vaccination.

It has also required expediting review and approval of domestic HPV vaccines.

Chai Yan, director of consulting firm IQVIA Biotech, said that free vaccination campaigns and market approval of domestic HPV vaccines in recent years have pushed domestic vaccination rates higher.

He said that the two domestic manufacturers of HPV vaccines should be capable of meeting demands if they operate at full capacity. It is also expected that more domestic vaccines will be available after 2025, further boosting their availability.

During this year's two sessions that concluded on Monday, Hu Xiaoqing, a national legislator and an oncology expert from Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, said during an interview with ThePaper.cn that she suggested promptly beefing up production of HPV vaccines.

She also proposed exploring innovative vaccination methods, such as deploying mobile vaccination vehicles and involving schools and communities in offering vaccines, as part of efforts to increase coverage.

Reporter: Wang Xiaoyu