Cervical cancer library

Advocacy, policy, and financing

Featured resources

10 Key Findings and Recommendations for Effective Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Programs (2007)
Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP)
In early 2007, the ACCP partners met to assess newly-analyzed results of key studies in India, South Africa, Peru, and Thailand. These new data spurred the partners to outline ten key findings and recommendations for global policy and practice related to cervical cancer screening and treatment in low-resource settings.

Cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV), and HPV vaccines: Key points for policy-makers and health professionals (2008)
World Health Organization (WHO), PATH, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
This booklet summarizes and updates the World Health Organization document “Human papillomavirus and HPV vaccine: technical information for policy-makers and health professionals” and the WHO/UNFPA guidance note “Preparing for the introduction of HPV vaccines—policy and programme guidance for countries.”

Declaration in favor of comprehensive cervical cancer prevention and control signed by 21 countries of the Americas (2008)
Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization organized a meeting of member states in Mexico City in May 2008. Representatives of 21 participating countries drafted and endorsed this declaration.

Global Guidance for Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control (2009)
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
This guidance is intended as a focused update on cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment strategies. It is intended to be complimentary to the World Health Organization's Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Control: A Guide to Essential Practice.

Evidence of Support for Improved Cervical Cancer Prevention in Developing Countries (2008)
Cervical Cancer Action, International Union Against Cancer, PATH
This dossier includes statements of support for improved cancer control from governments, organizations, and individuals in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other global regions.

HPV Vaccine Adoption in Developing Countries: Cost and Financing Issues (2007)
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, PATH
This 40-page publication addresses issues related to financing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and mobilizing resources to support new delivery mechanisms, which will constitute some of the most significant challenges to achieving widespread HPV vaccination in the developing world. With these cost and financing obstacles resolved, developing countries would be able to build robust programs to immunize adolescents and thus dramatically reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus and HPV vaccine: technical information for policy-makers and health professionals (2007)
WHO, UNFPA
This document provides key information on HPV, HPV-related diseases and HPV vaccines, and is intended to underpin the guidance note on HPV vaccine introduction, recently produced by WHO and the United Nations Population Fund.

IAVI Policy Briefs (2008)
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)

  • WHO's Key Normative Processes and Institutions for Vaccines: A Primer
    This 4-page brief describes three World Health Organization (WHO) normative institutions and processes pertaining to the issuance of technical guidelines and opinions about the public health value of new vaccines, their quality, and the acceptability of their manufacturing.
    Download file (146 KB PDF)
  • Procurement and Pricing of New Vaccines for Developing Countries
    This 8-page document explains how vaccines are purchased for the public sector in developing countries, with a focus on the roles of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as well as the GAVI Alliance, which is the major source of vaccine financing for the poorest countries and works closely with UNICEF.
    Download file (167 KB PDF)

Outlook. Preventing cervical cancer: Unprecedented opportunities for improving women's health
Castilaw D, Wittet S. Outlook. 2007;23(1). PATH.
This 12-page issue of Outlook provides the latest evidence-based information about cervical cancer prevention. It summarizes key issues related to HPV transmission, new HPV vaccines, and strategies for introduction in low-resource countries. This issue also identifies new methods for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.

Preparing for the introduction of HPV vaccines: policy and programme guidance for countries (2006)
WHO and UNFPA
This 25-page publication is based on a UNFPA/WHO Technical Consultation on HPV Vaccines and Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs, held in March 2006 in Montreux, Switzerland. It is intended to alert a broad array of stakeholders—in sexual and reproductive health, immunization, child and adolescent health, and cancer control programs—to some of the key issues surrounding the upcoming introduction of HPV vaccines against cervical cancer.

Progress in Cervical Cancer Prevention: The CCA Report Card (2011)
Cervical Cancer Action
This report assesses global readiness to fight cervical cancer using new approaches and new technologies, especially in regions where the disease is a common killer. It underscores the urgent need for the global community to prioritize cervical cancer prevention and control on global health and development agendas.

Statement from the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast and Cervical Cancer (2010)
The First Ladies of seven African countries released this statement as part of their participation in the 4th Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa conference, held July 25-27, 2010 in Accra, Ghana.

WHO position paper on human papillomavirus vaccines (2009)
WHO
In accordance with its mandate to provide guidance to Member States on health policy matters, WHO issues a series of regularly updated position papers on vaccines and vaccine combinations against diseases that have an international public health impact. This paper on HPV vaccines is provided in both English and French, has been reviewed by a number of experts within and outside WHO and has been endorsed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on vaccines and immunization. The position paper begins on the second page of this issue of the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record.

General advocacy, policy, and financing resources

A Long and Winding Road: Getting the HPV Vaccine to Women in the Developing World (2007)
Cohen, SA. Guttmacher Policy Review. 2007;10(3):15–19.
This five-page article outlines key issues affecting HPV vaccine accessibity for women in developing countries.

Stop Cervical Cancer: Accelerating Global Access to HPV Vaccines (2006)
These background papers were prepared for the Stop Cervical Cancer conference in London on December 12–13, 2007.

The Case for Investing in Cervical Cancer Prevention (2004)
Cervical Cancer Prevention Issues in Depth No. 3. ACCP.
This 35-page publication provides evidence on the burden of disease and the importance of women’s roles in family and community life to refute the assumptions that underlie the lack of access to cervical cancer prevention services in many developing countries. It also reviews new approaches to cervical cancer prevention in low-resource settings and provides data on cost-effectiveness. This was written before HPV vaccines became available in 2006.

The Emerging Adolescent Agenda: HPV Vaccine, AIDS Prevention Research, and the New Opportunities for Reaching the Young People of the World (2006)
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
This chapter explores why licensure of the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) presents the AIDS vaccine field with new opportunities.

Education, training, and communication for HPV vaccines (2006)
Sherris J, Friedman A, Wittet S, Davies P, Steben M, Saraiya M. Vaccine. 24(S3):S210–S218.
As HPV vaccines come to market, they will face education and training challenges similar to those of other new vaccines, along with HPV-specific issues. Pharmaceutical companies, public health advocates, medical trainers, and health educators need to understand their diverse audiences and respond appropriately to the needs of each. They also must use research-based communication strategies to convey the need for an HPV vaccine and to manage expectations about how the vaccine can, and cannot, protect women and men.

HPV vaccine use in the developing world (2006)
Kane M, Sherris J, Coursaget P, Aguado T, Cutts F. Vaccine. 24(S3):S132–S139.
HPV vaccine should be introduced in the framework of comprehensive cervical cancer control, and offers an opportunity to bring together a wide range of constituents who have not worked closely on vaccination. To prepare for decisions on HPV vaccine use, the sexual and reproductive health (including adolescent health), immunization, and cancer control communities need to work together to analyze the appropriate data and build international and national consensus.

Preventing Cervical Cancer Worldwide (2004)
Population Reference Bureau and ACCP
This 24-page report highlights the major findings, lessons, and recommendations from ACCP’s research and demonstration projects. ACCP has assessed and promoted prevention approaches that are inexpensive, safe, and widely acceptable. A four-page policy brief is also available. These reports were written before HPV vaccines became available in 2006.

Setting the immunization agenda through advocacy and communications (2008)
The Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization
This 17-page report is from an expert meeting on advocacy and communication for immunization held jointly by the United Kingdom Department of Health and the WHO European Regional Office. The report includes a chapter entitled, "Introduction of new vaccines: the HPV experience."

UNIFEM conference background papers (2007)
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
These three articles were written in conjunction with the UNIFEM conference in Brussels on September 27–28, 2007, "Fight against cervical cancer: challenges and opportunities for women’s right to health."

WHO: working to ensure global quality, safety and standards in immunization
WHO
This 20-page document outlines WHO's work in the development of regulatory capacity to ensure the safety, quality and quality and efficacy of vaccines in developing countries.