Reducing Global Health Inequality among Lower-income Girls: Making HPV vaccines Affordable

Cervical cancer, now preventable with new vaccines, is the second or third leading cause of death among women worldwide. Of the 493,000 cases and 273,000 deaths a year, more that 80 percent occur in lower-income countries. The inverse relationship between the place where girls live and this cancer underlies a global health inequality that can prevented. But high listed prices ($360 per treatment) make these vaccines inaccessible to girls outside the 53 GAVI-eligible countries who can benefit from deep discount that the patent-holding manufacturers offered GAVI at their no-profit cost of $13.50 per 3-dose course.

With the support of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, we have undertaken original research on the manufacturing costs of Gardasil and Cevarix. With detailed documentation, we will present the results and their potential to make HPV vaccines affordable to girls in all the World Bank’s 4 income tiers at affordable, yet profitable prices. Cervical cancer can become history.