Health Gains and Financial Protection from HPV Vaccination
2021
High out-of-pocket medical expenses for cervical cancer can lead to catastrophic health expenditures and medical impoverishment in many low-resource settings. This article uses a static cohort model that captures the main features of HPV vaccines and population demographics to project health and economic outcomes associated with routine HPV vaccination in Ethiopia.
The findings show that, assuming 100% vaccine efficacy against HPV-16/18 and 50% vaccination coverage, routine HPV vaccination could avert up to 970 000 cases of cervical cancer between 2019 and 2118, which translates to ∼932 000 lives saved. Additionally, routine HPV vaccination could avert 33 900 cases of catastrophic health expenditures. Approximately one-third of health benefits would accrue to the poorest wealth quintile, whereas 50% of financial risk protection benefits would accrue to this quintile. HPV vaccination can reduce disparities in cervical cancer incidence, mortality and household health expenditures. This understanding and the article’s findings can help policymakers in decisions regarding targeted cervical cancer control efforts and investment in HPV vaccination programs.
Health Gains and Financial Protection from HPV Vaccination
Source:
Portnoy A, Sweet S, Desalegn D, Tessema Memirie S, Kim JJ, Verguet S. Health Gains and Financial Protection from Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in Ethiopia: Findings from a Modelling Study. Health Policy and Planning 2021; 36 (6): 891-899. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czab052