Vietnam advances three-pillar strategy to prevent cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with a woman dying from it every two minutes. In 2022, nearly 350,000 women lost their lives to this preventable disease, most in low- and middle-income countries where access to HPV vaccines, routine screening and early treatment remains limited.

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is an extremely common virus worldwide and can infect people of all genders. While most infections clear naturally, persistent HPV infection can lead to cancer and other HPV-related diseases in both men and women, including genital warts, pre-cancerous lesions, and cancers of the cervix and anogenital region.

In Vietnam, according to the 2022 report, cervical cancer and HPV-related diseases remain a public health burden with approximately 4,600 new cancer cases and over 2,500 deaths each year. Although vaccines and screening tests have demonstrated clear effectiveness and benefits, access rates remain low, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive, sustainable and prevention strategy based on scientific evidence.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2020 strategy for eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem emphasises the inclusion of HPV vaccination in all national immunisation programmes, aiming to achieve the following targets by 2030: 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine; 70 per cent of women screened using HPV testing by the ages 35 and 45; and 90 per cent of women with pre-cancer or cervical cancer receiving treatment.

Full HPV vaccination for adolescent girls, combined with cervical cancer screening and timely treatment for all women with lesions, can help realise this goal within our generation. In Vietnam, the coverage of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening remains low, underscoring the need to strengthen prevention and control efforts.

In line with the World Health Organisation’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, the Ministry of Health earlier this year launched a nationwide communication campaign to raise awareness of HPV. The initiative reflects Vietnam’s strong commitment under the National Action Plan for Cervical Cancer Prevention towards 2030, which aims to remove the disease as a public-health threat.

After more than a decade in over 100 countries, HPV vaccines have proven highly effective in reducing pre-cancerous lesions and cervical cancer. The 2-dose and 3-dose regimens have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission based on rigorous scientific data.

“Like other subunit vaccines, the HPV vaccine uses a prime-boost mechanism to generate strong, long-lasting immune memory,” said Nguyen Hien Minh, deputy head of the Vaccination Unit at the University Medical Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. “The two- or three-dose regimen has been validated through rigorous clinical trials with long-term follow-up. Although single-dose evidence is being reviewed, it is not yet sufficient to change FDA-approved guidance, so Vietnam and many other countries continue to recommend the approved regimen for optimal protection.”

Screening is a key element in preventing cervical cancer, although it cannot prevent new HPV infections. Even with a current negative HPV test result, women may still contract high-risk HPV in the future. In Vietnam, barriers such as screening costs and travel difficulties in remote areas cause many women to miss important screening milestones, increasing the risk of the disease silently progressing to advanced stages. Even in effective screening programmes, missed follow-ups, delayed treatment due to cost or work, or false negatives occur, the risk of progression to cancer remains present.

“HPV vaccines prevent new high-risk infections and lay the foundation for long-term community protection,” said Le Thi Anh Dao, head of the A5 Gynecologic Surgery Department at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and senior lecturer at Hanoi Medical University. “HPV testing every five years allows early detection of new or persistent infections and timely follow-up when abnormalities appear. Together, these three pillars bring the community closer to eliminating cervical cancer.”

Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable when women have proper, timely access to vaccination, regular HPV testing and prompt treatment. Following approved vaccine regimens, screening at recommended intervals and addressing abnormalities immediately are not just awareness messages but evidence-based measures aligned with national strategy. Together, they give Vietnam a realistic pathway toward the WHO’s 2030 goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public-health problem.

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