HPV vaccines

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in terms of incidence in women with an estimated 604,000 new cases in 2024.^{Go to footnote 11}

Cervical cancers account for over 90% of Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers in women.^{Go to footnote 22}

While virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, the attributable fraction of other HPV related cancers ranges between 2% (oral cavity and larynx cancer) and 88% (anal cancer).^{Go to footnote 33}

For country-level data, please refer to the country reports available from the HPV Centre.^{Go to footnote 44}

Most sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.^{Go to footnote 55, Go to footnote 66}

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer type in 25 countries and the leading cause of cancer death in 37 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa as well as South America and South-East Asia.^{Go to footnote 77} 

The highest prevalence of cervical HPV among women is in sub-Saharan Africa (24%), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (16%), Eastern Europe (14%), and South-East Asia (14%). Prevalence among men is highly variable based on sexual trends.^{Go to footnote 66, Go to footnote 88}

A meta-analysis of HPV among men showed a global pooled prevalence of 31% (95% CI: 27–35) for any HPV. Pooled prevalence estimates were similar for the regions of Europe and Northern America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Oceania, while estimates for Eastern and South-Eastern Asia were half that of the other regions.^{Go to footnote 99} 

Prevalence estimates vary by sampling frame, age and assay. 

Currently, 12 HPV types are defined as high-risk (oncogenic) and cause cancer in humans (types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59); type 68 is classified as probably causing cancer. Oncogenic risk varies by type, with type HPV16 being the most oncogenic.^{Go to footnote 1010}

The most common HPV genotypes found in invasive cervical cancer are HPV16 and HPV18, together accounting for about 77% of cases, globally. Other significant high-risk types include HPV31, 33, 35, 45, 52, and 58, which raise this share to nearly 95% of cases globally.^{Go to footnote 1111}

The year 2010 data is used as a historical baseline for assessing trends in serotype prevalence. Given that the existing HPV vaccines cover HPV-16 and HPV-18 types, measuring the "natural" seroprevalence burden for these two types (16 and 18) will no longer be possible, as they start to disappear due to vaccination.^{Go to footnote 1212}

Cervical cancer was the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women in 2024, with around 280,000 deaths worldwide.^{Go to footnote 1313}

Cervical cancer mortality rates were six times higher in low Human Development Index (HDI) countries versus very high HDI countries.^{Go to footnote 1414}

According to the most recent estimates (2024), the mortality per incident case rate is estimated at 46 deaths per 100. Rates differ by country income level and health system capacity. No single global estimate is available.^{Go to footnote 1313} 

HPV is not considered an epidemic or pandemic prone infection.

The HPV vaccine plays a critical role in the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. By targeting high-risk HPV types, high-coverage HPV vaccination programs are integral to reducing the incidence of the disease. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) global strategy against cervical cancer sets ambitious goals: vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15, screening 70% of women by ages 35 and 45, and treating 90% of women with pre-cancerous lesions.^{Go to footnote 1515}