“In an effort to fight the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, more than 30 million girls will be immunized against HPV by 2020 with GAVI support, the global health alliance announced on Thursday,” Xinhua/Global Times reports. “Rwanda and Uganda have been conducting HPV pilot projects through donations from vaccine manufacturers and are expected to roll out the vaccine nationwide with GAVI support in 2014,” the news service writes, adding, “By 2015, GAVI plans to immunize approximately one million girls with HPV vaccines and a large number of other countries are expected to run HPV pilot projects, and by 2020, more than 30 million girls will be immunized against HPV, [GAVI Alliance CEO Seth] Berkley said” (12/7).

“The demand for HPV vaccines has exceeded expectations and we are looking forward to supporting developing countries in introducing these vaccines to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer,” Berkley said in a press release, according to Devex. The GAVI Alliance “planned to support human papillomavirus vaccines in 2008, but had to shelve the project due to funding constraints, according to a fact sheet [.pdf],” Devex reports, adding that a “successful pledging conference in 2011 … provided the opportunity for GAVI to open its ‘funding window’ for the vaccine” (Ravelo, 12/7).