In 2020, 14 years after the advent of a jab that prevents almost all cases, cervical cancer still killed 342,000 women
Fully 95% of cervical-cancer cases are caused by human papillomavirus , a group of sexually transmitted viruses. So common isthat nearly every sexually active person contracts a strain. Most never know, because the body flushes it out within two years. In some cases, however, the virus lingers, forming lesions on women’s cervixes that can become cancerous.
This deadly condition is the second most common cancer among women aged 15-44. In rich countries, five-year survival rates are around 70%. In the poorest ones, which account for 90% of deaths from cervical cancer, less than one in five women with the disease are thought to survive.. But take-up has been slow. In the rich world, the share of people vaccinated by age 15 ranges from zero in Japan, which only resumed recommending the jab in 2022, to 81% in Britain.
However, two other roadblocks are now being cleared. In December the World Health Organisation said that a single dose of thejab provided full protection. This will vastly expedite vaccination efforts. In addition, firms in both China and India are now producing their countries’ first domesticjabs. The Serum Institute of India plans to make 200m doses in two years at prices well below the current market rate. Its output should supply India’s first national vaccination effort.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline"Low-hanging fruit"
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Email to ITV boss revealed from 2020 about 'accusations' against SchofieldAn email from a former ITV employee has been revealed, calling for an investigation into Phillip Schofield over two years ago.
Read more »
Cheap macadamia nuts and Jacob’s Creek wine to hit supermarket shelves after post-Brexit dealTrade deals with Australia and New Zealand came into effect on Wednesday, the first to be negotiated since Britain left the EU The Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has hailed the deals as an “historic moment” sallyguyoncourt reports
Read more »
Get your cheap memory while you canHot DRAM, market likely to 'bounce back with a vengeance' in '24, says Gartner
Read more »
That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson found guilty of raping two womenBREAKING: That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson has been found guilty on two criminal counts in his sexual assault retrial.
Read more »