Society Participates in Meeting to Expedite Global Cervical Cancer Vaccine Access

The American Cancer Society participated in a meeting convened by leading foundations and reproductive health groups to explore advocacy for global access to both approved HPV vaccines and vaccines in the process of being approved. The meeting, convened in London and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations, united leaders from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Program for Appropriate Technology for Health, Merck, GlaxoSmithkline, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Discussions focused on strategies to accelerate access to the vaccine for women in developing countries, where 90% of cervical cancer occurs. The high vaccination cost — $360 for the required three-shot dose — prohibits access to this lifesaving intervention where it is most needed. Cervical cancer, usually fatal if untreated, is the second-most common cancer in women. A meeting panel on mobilizing survivors as vaccine advocates included Johanna Ralston, managing director and vice president of International Affairs; Jan Agosti of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Julian Lob-Levyt, head of GAVI; N. K. Ganguly, MD, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research; and Merle Lewis, DrPh, of the Pan American Health Organization.