PAHO deals promise cheaper HPV tests for cervical cancer screening across the Caribbean

GENEVA, Switzerland. Women across Latin America and the Caribbean are set to gain access to cheaper, high-quality testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) under the first region-wide access agreements negotiated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The agreements, made through PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds with support from Unitaid, will let countries buy molecular HPV tests at preferential prices along with a support package. Participating countries are expected to save between 30 and 70 per cent.

HPV causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer, which kills more than 40,000 women in the region each year. Until now, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have faced some of the highest HPV test prices in the world.

Caribbean rollout

Unitaid will support implementation in El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia, helping them introduce or expand HPV-based screening and strengthen follow-up care for women who test positive.

The tests are available through PAHO's Revolving Fund on the same terms to all countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. The agreements also cover equipment, training, maintenance and technical assistance, aimed at removing practical barriers that have held back new diagnostic technology.

"Through PAHO's Revolving Funds, countries now have access to high-quality HPV testing under more favourable conditions, helping accelerate efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in the Americas," said PAHO director Dr Jarbas Barbosa.

Dr Philippe Duneton, executive director of Unitaid, said the initiative extended favourable pricing to countries "historically excluded from such arrangements".

Why it matters

PAHO and the World Health Organization have recommended HPV testing for cervical cancer screening since 2013, but uptake in the region has been limited by financial, technical and programme barriers. Sixteen countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean have introduced HPV testing, though high costs have limited coverage.

Molecular tests detect the high-risk HPV types responsible for most cervical cancers and can use self-collected samples. The ESTAMPA study in Latin America found HPV testing detected nearly all precancerous lesions and invasive cancers, while conventional cytology identified fewer than half.

Wider use of the tests is key to the WHO's 90-70-90 elimination targets: 90 per cent of girls vaccinated against HPV, 70 per cent of women screened with a high-performance test and 90 per cent of women with lesions treated.