Guyana acquires low-cost, brand name highly effective HPV vaccine to boost prevention of cervical cancer

Last Updated on Thursday, 24 July 2025, 19:41 by Writer

Guyana has acquired Merck-made 9-valiant HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccines at a very low cost through a deal negotiated by the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony.

The HPV virus is responsible for most cervical cancers. The virus can also cause anal, penile, vulvar, vaginal, and some head and neck cancers, particularly oropharyngeal (back of the throat) cancers.

He told the launch of the vaccine at the Diamond Public Hospital that the negotiations between PAHO and the United States/Canada-based Merck led to a “quite affordable price” of US$15 per dose in contrast to the market price of US$369 per dose.

PAHO Director, Jarbas Barbosa da Silva. Jr. said the 50,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Guyana. Dr Anthony said through the low-price deal, Guyana has saved almost US$17.7 million. “When you want to think about the partnership and what this fund can do, this is the value you’re getting. This is a big value so when you calculate it in monetary terms, this is the value that we’re getting,” he said.

Unlike the quadrivalent version, he said the 9-valent vaccine would offer increased protection against almost all of the 30 strains of the virus, as tests last year showed that virtually all of them are prevalent in Guyana. “That was one of the clinical decisions moving from the quadrivalent to the nine-valent because we want to offer more protection to our population,” he said.

Children between nine and 15 years old require two doses and others 16 to 45 years old must take three doses, none of which is harmful to the body except for a little bit of redness, pain or fever as is the case with most vaccines. “There is nothing unusual in the reaction of your body to the vaccine and in all the studies that have been done, it has been shown to be extremely safe and people tolerate this vaccine very well,” he said.

The Health Minister said Guyana has increased its HPV vaccine coverage from 20 percent in 2020 to 71 percent in 2025, “already a significant achievement.” He said Guyana would be pushing to increase the coverage to almost 90 percent in keeping with World Health Organisation (WHO) target.

The Health Minister said the Guyana government-funded HPV screening programme was continuing apace as authorities target at least 40 percent of women to know their status and if necessary refer them for treatment. He said so far of the 12,000 women who have collected the HPV testing voucher, 2,000 of them were positive and sent for treatment.

Government has already designed and cost the construction of a cancer treatment centre, he said.