Rwanda in cervical cancer deal

May 02, 2011

US drugmaker Merck and German diagnostics are donating millions of human papillomaviros (HPV) vaccines and 250,000 HPV tests to Rwanda to start a national cervical cancer prevention programme.

US drugmaker Merck and German diagnostics are donating millions of human papillomaviros (HPV) vaccines and 250,000 HPV tests to Rwanda to start a national cervical cancer prevention programme.

Merck will provide Rwanda with two million doses of its Gardasil vaccine over three years. The shot costs around $130 (about sh308) a dose in the US and protects against HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes almost all cases of cervical cancer.

A total of 250,000 HPV DNA tests are being provided for free during the first three years of the programme. They will be used to screen women aged 35 to 45 for HPV, while the vaccines will be offered to all Rwandan girls aged 12-15.

After the first three years, Rwanda will pay for the vaccine at a “dramatically” reduced price to continue the nationwide programme.

“We do not want the price of the vaccine to be a barrier for these lower income countries to be able to introduce it,” the drugmaker says.

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