World Health Organization releases new guidance on cervical cancer prevention

The World Health Organization has issued new guidance to prevent and control cervical cancer. The new Comprehensive cervical cancer control: a guide to essential practice will be launched at the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Melbourne, Australia today.

The WHO recommends to vaccinate girls aged 9 to 13 with two doses of the HPV vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus infection, which is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. This reduced schedule of two doses has been shown to be as effective as three doses, and the change will make the vaccine easier to administrate, as well as reducing the cost. Today, girls in more than 55 countries are protected by routine HPV vaccine administration.

The organization also called for HPV testing, which, once administered, if a woman screens negative, should not be re-administered for at least five years but will be re-screened within 10.