HPV scientific conference: “It is cheaper to prevent cervical cancer than treat it” – health minister

It is cheaper help persons protect themselves from cervical cancer with a free Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine than it is to treat the cancer.
This statement was made on Tuesday by Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony during an HPV Scientific Conference at Pegasus Corporate Suites, Kingston, Georgetown.

The two-day conference which is being hosted in collaboration with the Pan American Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), is expected to present evidence of lessons learnt from countries on HPV vaccine introduction and its impact on cancer reduction and prevention.
In addition, it will provide the platform to review global strategies and attributing factors to cancer prevention and the participants will undergo discussions on strategies to increase the uptake and coverage of HPV Vaccination as part of the cervical cancer prevention and elimination strategy.
During his remarks, the health minister revealed that Guyana’s HPV vaccination rate is relatively low while cervical cancer remains the second most prevalent cancer among women.
According to the minister Anthony, mass HPV vaccination testing will commence soon to address the issue and he urged eligible persons to take the HPV vaccine and help protect themselves.
“We want to change that because if cervical cancer is the number two cancer among women and this is preventable via vaccine then we want to make sure that every child in this country is protected. The cost for such a vaccine and getting it through PAHO’S (Pan American Health Organization) strategic fund is minimal,” the health minister explained.
Anthony explained that vaccines for HPV are available all primary healthcare facilities across the country.
He said the testing programme will be used as one of the frontline interventions to identify people at risk, specifically women ages 30 and above.
“We have the equipment, we have trained people, we have the vaccine, so what is stopping us from getting the population immunized, nothing is stopping us. I want to see by the end of this year that the numbers that we have go up in a very significant way,” Dr. Anthony said.

HPV
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is sexually transmitted by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus.
It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex, even if the individual with the virus has no visible signs or symptoms.
There is no cure for the virus (HPV) itself, however, treatments are available for health problems that HPV can cause, such as genital warts and cervical cancer, among others.
In 2023, the Health Ministry expanded access to HPV vaccines to persons beyond 15 years of age, in keeping with new guidelines issued by global health authorities.
The Government of Guyana has increased significantly, its health investment, with more than a doubling of the per capita investment in health between 2020 and 2023.
In acknowledging these advances, the Ministry of Health was urged to elevate the strategies and actions to manage and control cancers in our country.

Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix which is located in the lower part of the womb. It is result of abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
Having sexual intercourse at an early age or having multiple partners, smoking and contracting sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increases a person’s chance of developing the disease.
The two most effective procedures to detect cervical cancer are the pap smear test which looks for pre-cancer cells that might become cervical cancer and the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) which examines the womb, or the cervix, for changes that might lead to cancer.
However, while both of the tests can get the job done, the VIA test is more readily available to women compared to the pap smear test.
Further, the Human papillomavirus infection examination and vaccines can help prevent women from developing cervical cancer.
Screening for cervical cancer using the pap smear and VIA method should be done every three years from the age of twenty- one while testing for HPV should start from the age of thirty years.
It is recommended, however, if someone undergoes both examinations that they repeat the procedure every five years and not three years. (G2)