Papillomavirus vaccine to poor countries will

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI)-a public-private partnership to improve the health of the poorest countries, has agreed to finance and carry poor countries the vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV) responsible for cervical cancer.

About 90% of the 275,000 annual deaths caused by this disease occurs in these poor nations, where there are no programs 'screening', common in rich countries. Experts warn that if no action is taken that figure could rise to 430,000 in 2030. But the vaccine could prevent up to 70% of cases.

According to the data handled by GAVI up to two million girls in nine developing countries could be protected against this tumor for 2015 thanks to the vaccination program, which has yet to negotiate the final price of immunization with the manufacturers.

Nina Schwalbe, director of policy and GAVI products, confirms that they are in talks with "two manufacturers of the two licensed vaccines against HPV, Merck & Co. and GlaxoSmithKline."

Girls and adolescents in Europe and the U.S. have access to the vaccine since it was by the health authorities approve a 2006, but "those most in need are the young people of the developing countries and they have no access," shown in GAVI . "For the girls in these regions, the vaccine is your only option," says Schwalbe. "The introduction of the HPV vaccine has been a major medical advance, but must reach those who really need it," he continues.

The first countries that will vaccination programs, which begin in 2013, will be Rwanda and Vietnam .

The company Merck announced earlier this year that would provide GAVI's vaccine-Gardasil-a discount of five dollars per dose, which Schwalbe has been defined as "a good deal of input." For their part, pharmaceutical GSK has not disclosed its offer.