HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

The ongoing program HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention in West Africa, created by GAIA Vaccine Foundation, works to establish the best possible distribution method of HPV vaccinations in Mali given the high rates of cervical cancer within the community. 

HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to the development of cervical cancer. This deadly disease is the most common cancer among Malian women, and thus requires immediate action to help end the spread. Sadly, the HPV vaccine is not currently available in Mali. The two strands within HPV, strand 16 and 17, are both the leading cause of developing cervical cancer and also the strains that can be prevented from mutating by the vaccine. While this HPV vaccine has been approved and distributed within 125 countries, developing nations such as Mali have limited access. Due to the lack of the vaccine’s presence in the country, many women and members of the population also do not understand the importance of receiving the vaccine. 

The HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention in West Africa program is working to not only educate the population about the importance of receiving the HPV vaccination, but also effectively distribute the vaccine across Malian communities. To educate the Malian population, the program has used a West African style ‘story-telling’ cloth to communicate the importance of receiving the vaccine to protect one’s self. 

The main goal of the program is to limit the mortality rate of women with cervical cancer by advocating for access to the HPV vaccination in Malian communities. This goes hand in hand with the increased education on the vaccine, which would inspire more women to undergo cervical cancer screenings. This combined approach would minimize the death rate of Malian women who are in the prime of their lives. By donating $10, you would be providing a potentially life saving cervical cancer screening and printed cloth for one woman. For only $15, you would be providing treatment for one woman with precancerous lesions, and for $25, you would be providing cervical cancer screenings for five women. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated at this time, in order to help GAIA Vaccine Foundation save the lives of thousands of Malian women by preventing the spread of HPV through vaccination.