Journal: Nature communications
This publication reviews the current and projected burden of HPV infection and cervical cancer in Africa and frames it against the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 elimination targets (90% of girls fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women screened twice in a lifetime, and 90% of women with cervical disease receiving appropriate treatment).
Key points:
- Burden and urgency: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death among African women despite being largely preventable, with high mortality reflecting gaps in vaccination, screening, and timely treatment.
- Vaccination strategy: The article compares the feasibility and potential impact of single-dose versus two-dose HPV vaccine regimens in African settings. It focuses on programmatic practicality and coverage implications rather than new clinical efficacy data, emphasizing that regimen choice should maximize real-world uptake and implementation.
- Screening approaches: It highlights the need to move beyond limited cytology-based programs toward more scalable methods, including:
- Molecular screening tools such as methylation markers.
- AI-assisted screening technologies to improve accuracy and reach in low-resource settings.
- Treatment and outcomes: The review describes treatment-related side effects and the generally poor prognosis associated with late-stage diagnosis and constrained access to high-quality oncologic care across the continent.
- Policy implications: Overall, the paper advocates for decisive, coordinated action to:
- Expand HPV vaccination (with an implementation-appropriate dose strategy).
- Improve access to modern, cost-effective screening.
- Strengthen treatment infrastructure to move African countries toward cervical cancer elimination targets.