International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted pre-qualification status to a four-type human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, it has been announced.

Gardasil, created by Merck Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, has become the first cervical cancer jab to receive pre-qualification, which means it is now eligible for procurement by United Nations agencies for use in national immunisation programmes.

The status is designed to guarantee that vaccines meet strict WHO standards of quality, safety and efficacy.

Graca Machel, founder and president of the Foundation for Community Development in Mozambique, comments that cervical cancer is "a significant burden in developing countries", adding that this development is positive step.

She notes: "WHO pre-qualification of an HPV vaccine signifies a move to help protect young women and improve access to better health care, particularly in the poorest countries."

Earlier this week, researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bogota, Columbia, claimed that millions of women aged between 24 and 45 could benefit from having a cervical cancer vaccine.