A study published in the medical journal The Lancet has reported the elimination of cervical cancer deaths among women under the age of 25 in the United Kingdom. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London, in a study funded by Cancer Research UK, attributed the findings to the national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program, which was introduced in 2008.
The study examined mortality data over several five-year periods. In the period from 2020 to 2024, there were zero recorded deaths from cervical cancer in the UK among women aged 20 to 24. Researchers calculated that without the vaccination program, 23 deaths would have been expected in this age group during the same timeframe.
For historical context, the study noted that 25 women in that age bracket died of cervical cancer between 2000 and 2004, before the vaccine’s introduction. The number of deaths was 16 between 2005 and 2009, and five between 2015 and 2019, as vaccination coverage expanded.
“We know the HPV vaccine is extremely effective at stopping cervical cancer before it starts and for the first time, these findings show it is saving lives,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, in a statement responding to the study.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses, commonly transmitted through sexual contact. While most HPV infections are cleared by the immune system without causing symptoms, persistent infection with certain high-risk strains is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The WHO reports that over 95% of cervical cancer cases worldwide are caused by HPV.
Globally, cervical cancer remains a significant public health issue. The WHO estimated there were 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths from the disease in 2022, making it the fourth most common cancer among women. Approximately 94% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
Data from the World Cancer Research Fund for 2022 shows the highest number of cervical cancer deaths occurred in India (79,906), China (55,694), and Indonesia (20,708).
In response to these figures, several countries have launched national HPV vaccination programs. In February 2024, India began a nationwide campaign to vaccinate girls aged 9 to 14. China introduced a free HPV vaccine into its national immunization program in 2023 for girls aged 13. Pakistan launched its first national HPV vaccine campaign in 2023, aiming to immunize girls aged 9 to 14. Indonesia has also integrated HPV vaccination into its national immunization schedule for school-aged girls.
Public health officials have identified challenges to the rollout of these programs, including vaccine hesitancy. Reasons cited for hesitancy in various regions include concerns about vaccine safety, which are not supported by scientific studies, and cultural arguments that the vaccine is unnecessary in societies where premarital sex is not common.
In Pakistan, health officials have noted that public mistrust has also been a factor, citing a 2011 CIA operation that used a fake hepatitis B vaccination campaign as cover during a manhunt for Osama bin Laden.
