GlaxoSmithKline launches social initiative in Ukraine to ensure availability of vaccines to prevent cervical cancer

Kyiv, December 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical and healthcare company, has launched a social initiative in Ukraine aimed at ensuring the maximum availability of vaccines to prevent cervical cancer.

"GlaxoSmithKline is launching a global social initiative in Ukraine. It foresees that we'll make our vaccines on preventing the development of cervical cancer as available as possible. Ukraine is one of the first countries in which the initiative will be implemented," General Manager of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ukraine, APRAD Chairman Andriy Stohniy, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

He said that the initiative foresees a reduction of up to 50% in the cost of vaccines.

"So the price will total UAH 380 per dose after the reduction," Stohniy said, adding that a social project has already started.

"The initiative is in effect from today. From today we'll be able to ensure the maximum availability of vaccines for women and girls," he said.

Stohniy also focused on the urgency of the question of preventing cervical cancer.

"Six women in Ukraine die from this terrible disease each day. The disease usually affects women of reproductive age. Cervical cancer in the women of this category is a major cause of death among all cancer illnesses," he said.

Medical Manager of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ukraine, Doctor of Medical Science Oleksandr Markov, in turn, said that vaccines used to help prevent the disease had been registered around the world in 2007 and that it had been officially registered in Ukraine the same year.

"The vaccine was registered in 101 countries, and applications for its registration are being considered in a further 20 countries," he said.

Markov said that the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) had approved the vaccine in September 2009.

"So the vaccine was permitted to be used in the United States from September," he said.

Markov also said that the vaccine had undergone re-qualification by the World Health Organization in July 2009 and that its effectiveness and safety had been confirmed in a number of large-scale clinical surveys.

"Over seven million doses of the vaccine have been used around the world, and no cases of deaths have been recorded," he said, adding that several thousand women in Ukraine had been vaccinated against cervical cancer over the past two years.

Doctor of Medical Science, Professor and Chief Freelance Expert for Midwifery and Gynecology at the Ukrainian Health Ministry Viacheslav Kaminsky, who was also present at the press conference, pointed to the importance of such initiative.

"It's pleasure that GlaxoSmithKline has put forth such a proposal, [and] that it will be a big positive, … an important brick in building the nation's health," he said.

Kaminsky reminded that "the major weapon in our fight with cervical carcinoma is primary prophylaxis, and the primary prophylaxis is vaccination."

Asked about the possibility of state vaccine procurement, he said that vaccination could be done now if a patient wants it.

"But we don't lose hope that there will be state programs. I'm not sure whether they will cover the entire female population. But one needs to speak about that. Perhaps, we'll be trying to implement child-oriented programs for risks groups," he said.

He said that Kyiv's city center for reproduction and perinatal medicine has a vaccination room.

Doctor of Medical Science, Professor and Head of the Department for Oncology-related Gynecology of the National Cancer Center Liudmyla Vorobyova also announced some alarming statistics.

"Over the past decade, the number of detected cervical carcinoma cases among young single women aged between 18-24 has grown by 70%, and there was a 30% increase among women aged between 30-40.

"Every year 5,000 new cervical carcinoma cases are registered in Ukraine. From 15% to 18% of them are fatal cases, and the women die within 12 months. The annual death toll from the disease is 2,500 women," she said.