The Secretary-General of the Gulf Union for Cancer Control, Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh said that the workshop, which was held by the federation on the need for national vaccination in Kuwait for human papilloma virus (HPV) on the recommendations of the World Health Organization, changes in society and the pressure of pharmaceutical companies, discussed cervical cancer, which is one of the most important causes of death among women in the world.
Al-Saleh said in a press statement that there are half a million new cases of cervical cancer every year around the world, 79% of which occur in poor countries, noting that studies of the HPV vaccination showed that it prevents 90% of HIV infection and 70% of uterine cancer; 80% of anal canal cancer, and 60% of vaginal cancer, and the WHO recommended that the human papilloma virus vaccine be offered as part of routine vaccinations in all countries where the incidence of infections exceeds 4 per 100,000 people, reports Al-Qabas daily.
He added that the infection rates in India are 99 per 100,000 people, and in Chile and Colombia it is 77 per 100,000 people. As for infection rates in the Gulf countries from 2008 to 2012, it became clear that the rate in Kuwait was 2.6 per 100,000 people.
Al-Saleh explained that studies indicated that the vaccine was not free of complications, as 12.5% of the total 23 million users of the vaccine experienced side effects, and 6% of them experienced serious symptoms that required hospitalization.
The nuclear medicine consultant, a member of the Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN) executive committee, Dr. Iman Al-Shammari, said the workshop was attended by doctors from the Primary HealthCare Department and the Department of Nursing Authority at the Ministry of Health, and doctors from the information office in the ministry, and was held in cooperation with CAN with support from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.
