Can HPV Vaccines End Cervical Cancer Globally?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a key component of strategies to eliminate cervical cancer globally. A recent study published in The Lancet showed that deaths in England from cervical cancer have fallen sharply since school-age girls began being offered the vaccine in 2008. The study analyzed population-based cervical cancer mortality data and found that between 2020–2024 no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged 20 to 24. Without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected based on historical mortality rates. “The findings show for the first time that it is possible to substantially reduce the number of people dying from cervical cancer in a population by introducing HPV vaccination,” Prof. Peter Sasieni, the lead researcher at Queen Mary University of London, told Technology Networks. Findings from Scotland, Sweden, and Denmark also support a substantial reduction in invasive cervical cancer following vaccination.