61,374 girls in Timor-Leste to receive HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancer

Timor-Leste launches HPV Vaccine for 11-14 years girls. With support from partners, the vaccine will help protect girls and women against cervical cancer: a common yet preventable disease.

Dili / Geneva, 22 July 2024 - The Government of Timor-Leste, with support from the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the Australian Government, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), marked the launch of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunization programme, to support the prevention of cervical cancer among women and girls.

The launch event precedes a two-week-long national rollout campaign, which will start on 8 August and aims to vaccinate 15,000 girls aged 11 years with the HPV vaccine. The vaccine will then be incorporated in routine immunization schedules within health facilities. The vaccine is available to eligible girls at no cost.

"The Ministry of Health is proud to introduce the HPV vaccine into the routine immunization programme in Timor-Leste. This is one of the significant milestones in the history of the immunization programme in the country. This also shows the commitment of the Ministry of Health commitment joining the global effort in elimination of the cervical cancer. The Ministry of Health would like to appreciate all the donors and development partners such as Gavi, DFAT, UNICEF, WHO and World Bank in supporting the Ministry of Health in this initiative", said HE Mr. Jose dos Reis Magno, Vice Minister of Health for Institutional Strengthening of Health and Acting Minister of Health.

According to WHO statistics, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with around 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths in 2022. The highest rates of cervical cancer are in low- and middle-income countries, and in Timor-Leste it is the second most common cancer amongst women.

With support from Gavi, 41,100 doses of the HPV vaccine are already available for the introductory phase of the vaccine rollout. An additional 38,370 doses have been sourced with support from the Australian Government and will be used for the HPV catch up campaign targeting girls aged 12-14 year over the next six months. Support from partners has also helped in the training of health officials, who have been equipped to provide high-quality services and correct information about the HPV vaccine to the targeted population. Health officials have undergone extensive training, and orientation sessions on how to administer the vaccine, and how to appropriately store it to retain its efficacy.

To complement the introduction of this new vaccine, the Ministry of Health will drive intensive community level and media awareness sessions to raise public awareness about the HPV vaccine and to increase uptake. A wide range of communication materials have also been developed to ensure that people receive correct and scientifically proven information about this new vaccine.

"Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern in Timor-Leste, and it disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable communities across the world. The introduction of the HPV vaccine is a critical step towards protecting thousands of girls, now and in the years to come," said Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi. "Alongside the Governments of Timor-Leste and Australia, Gavi is committed to building a healthier future for young women across the country, free from the threat of this terrible disease."

Single dose HPV vaccination offers solid protection against cervical cancer and is safe and effective-assured Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative. He mentioned that the introduction of the HPV vaccine is significant milestone not only in the journey of Immunization program in Timor-Leste but also to their commitment for preventing cervical cancer. Well informed and trained health workforce in administering vaccine is key to increase the uptake of vaccine as WHO teams extensively trained health care providers at all levels and have engaged with schoolteachers for informational sessions at schools and communities.

"The good news is that cervical cancer is a preventable disease. The other good news is that women and girls in Timor-Leste now have a good chance to be protected from this disease, thanks to the introduction HPV vaccine in the country. To make the HPV rollout successful, strong synergies with various ministries and communities must be formed to ensure full access to eligible girls, especially those who are geographically furthest from services," said UNICEF Representative, Patrizia DiGiovanni.

With today's launch, Timor-Leste joins 120 other countries, including Bangladesh and Indonesia in the region, who have introduced the HPV vaccine into routine immunization programs as a key strategy to prevent mortality and morbidity. The HPV vaccine is safe and highly effective: for example, since Scotland began its HPV vaccination programme in 2008, the country has had zero cases of cervical cancer in fully vaccinated young women.

In Norway, similar efforts have led to no cervical cancer cases in women under 25. While these examples show what is possible, HPV vaccine coverage in countries where most cases and deaths occur continues to be extremely low. However, this is slowly changing thanks to efforts from countries like Timor-Leste.

Vaccinating girls at an early age, reduces their risk of developing cervical cancer by nearly 90 per cent and in turn reduces the burden of non-communicable diseases on the country's health system. It also provides a unique opportunity to invest in the health of women and the future of girls.

With support from key donors, including Australia, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance - a partnership that includes countries, WHO and UNICEF - has set an ambitious goal to reach over 86 million girls across the world with the HPV vaccine by 2025, aiming to avert over 1.4 million future deaths from cervical cancer. An additional 1.5 million lives in lower-income countries could be saved by 2030 through HPV vaccination, should the Vaccine Alliance secure necessary support and funding.

Australia has been working together with Ministry of Health and implementing partners including UNICEF, WHO and World Vision to strengthen the vaccination system in Timor-Leste. The support provided for the HPV vaccine procurement and operational costs, will enable the country to reach the targeted eligible girls, including girls who are out-of-school and girls with disabilities to ensure no one is left behind.

Australia remains committed to supporting the priorities of the IX Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste to expand the reach and the quality of primary health care services.

"We celebrate the expansion of the vaccine program to include the introduction of the Human Papilloma Vaccine (HPV) - for girls aged between 11-14. By vaccinating girls early, we can significantly reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer later in life," said Australian Ambassador, Caitlin Wilson.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Cirũ Kariũki, Gavi
+41 79 913 94 41
[email protected]

Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF
Advocacy and Communication Specialist
+670 77231103
[email protected]

Antonio Gomes, UNICEF
Communications Officer
+670 77232441
[email protected]

Cirilo Ovilla F. Danis Xavier, WHO
Communication Officer
+67077086831
[email protected]

Esperanca Lopes, Australian Embassy
Media contact
+670 77546571
[email protected]

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