Abstract:
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection leading to cervical cancer remains one of the
most urgent public health challenges worldwide. In 2022 alone, there were an estimated
662,301 new cervical cancer cases and 348,874 deaths globally, with the burden heavily
affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where access to prevention,
screening, and treatment remains limited (1, 2). Persistent infection with high-risk
HPV genotypes, especially types 16 and 18, underpins nearly all cases of cervical
cancer, causing over 300,000 deaths each year (3). Despite significant scientific
advances in HPV diagnostics and vaccine development over the past two decades,
translating these innovations into equitable healthcare practices remains a major global
challenge (4). A clearer understanding of how best to deliver evidence-based
interventions in real-world settings is crucial to bridging the gap between research and
actual health outcomes, especially in low-resource settings where vaccination uptake,
screening coverage, sociocultural barriers, and health system limitations continue to
pose challenges.