GAVI confirmed that Ghana, Kenya, Lao PDR, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone and Tanzania “will become the first countries to receive GAVI support to start HPV vaccine demonstration programmes.” GAVI said the demonstration programmes “will give each country the opportunity to test their ability to put in place the systems that would be needed to roll out the HPV vaccines nationally and to inform their decisions.”  Dr. Seth Berkley, GAVI CEO, said, “Introducing the HPV vaccine in developing countries is the start of a global effort to protect all girls against cervical cancer. Of the 275,000 women who die of cervical cancer annually, 85% live in the world’s poorest countries. Cervical cancer is one of the leading cancer killers of women in the developing world.” UNICEF will procure the vaccines following a competitive tender process that is currently being completed. Merck and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are currently the only two manufacturers who have prequalified HPV vaccines. GAVI noted that it has been “working with vaccine manufacturers to secure the most affordable price for HPV vaccines. To date, one manufacturer has announced an indicative price of US$ 5 per dose, a 64% reduction on the current lowest public price. GAVI expects to secure a lower price for procurement of HPV vaccines, vital to the sustainability of current and future programmes.” The GAVI announcement described one of the challenges to effectively delivering HPV vaccines is that “many developing countries do not offer routine health services for girls in the 9 to 13 age group. Other challenges include identifying the appropriate target group, engaging with those at highest risk who may not be easily reached, and preventing a sexually transmitted cancer-causing infection that is minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic.”

http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/2013/gavi-funds-vaccines-to-protect-girls-against-cervical-cancer/