Economic Evaluation of Screening Strategies Combined with HPV Vaccination of Preadolescent Girls for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer in Vientiane, Lao PDR

Economic Evaluations of HPV Vaccination in Targeted Regions of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Modelling Studies

Background

In countries with limited resources, a targeted HPV vaccination strategy by focusing in selected regions is preferable to be implemented than a nationwide vaccination strategy.

Objective

This study aimed to review articles on economic evaluations of HPV vaccination in countries over the world that applied targeted vaccination strategies.

Methods

Approximately 1769 articles were obtained from two databases (1242 and 527 articles from PubMed and ProQuest, respectively). The inclusion criteria in this systematic review were studies about full economic evaluations of HPV vaccination in targeted area or sub-national level and written in English. Full-text screening was applied to evaluate the eligibility. Final articles obtained were referred to the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standard (CHEERS) checklist. Finally, we included only 4 articles that met all inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

Included studies in this review focused in different targeted regions, such as Punjab State in India, Vientiane in Lao PDR, Southern Vietnam in Vietnam, and Brazilian Amazon in Brazil. From 24 criteria in the CHEERS checklist, all included studies could meet 21 criteria (87.5%). All included studies in this review applied modeling approaches, which can estimate the number of cases and treatment costs averted. Applying various settings, the results of this study showed that HPV vaccination could potentially reduce the number of cervical cancer cases by 20–72%. Taking cervical cancer screening into account, this study showed that targeted HPV vaccination was cost-effective or even cost-saving.

Conclusion

Implementation of HPV vaccination in sub-national level as the initial step before nationwide vaccination is more favorable to be implemented in countries with limited budget.

Factors Influencing the Cost-Effectiveness Outcomes of HPV Vaccination and Screening Interventions in Low-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer ranks fourth amongst the commonest malignancies worldwide and the second most prevalent cancer afflicting women in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), hence, of great public health importance. LMICs are the most affected regions as evidenced by their high prevalence of the disease. Mortality associated with cervical neoplasms is preventable through the implementation of recommended preventive approaches.

AIMS

This review aimed to appraise evidence on the cost effectiveness of cervical cancer prevention interventions in LMICs involving cervical screening and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programmes.

METHODS

A search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Web of Science was elicited and studies published between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2018 were retrieved. Two authors independently undertook the screening, review, selection of studies, and data extraction with disagreements being resolved through discussion and consensus.

RESULTS

Twelve studies were selected. The cost-effectiveness outcomes of HPV vaccination and screening interventions are dependent on age, screening method used, intervention coverage, and the number of doses or visits required for vaccination and screening, respectively. A combination of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening and HPV vaccination appears to be the most cost-effective approach in reducing the lifetime risk for HPV-linked cervical neoplasms. Similarly, vaccination as a stand-alone intervention is potentially cost effective provided the coverage is maintained between 70 and 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV vaccination and screening interventions may be cost effective in LMICs and potentially reduce the lifetime risk, economic burden, and associated mortality. However, it is important to consider the factors that influence the cost effectiveness of cervical cancer prevention interventions for better outcomes to be realised.

Economic evaluation of human papillomavirus vaccination in the Global South: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Many reviews have been conducted on the economic evaluation of the HPV vaccine in global north countries. But there is a dearth of such reviews in the Global South countries. Hence, this systematic review aims to summarize studies done in these countries.

METHODS

Four databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from 2009 to 2019 were searched for economic evaluations on HPV vaccination in the Global South countries. PRISMA guidelines were followed to include full-text articles. 40 original articles were shortlisted for full-text review.

RESULTS

Studies had varied models, assumptions, and results according to different scenarios. Most studies concluded HPV vaccination to be cost-effective under varied scenarios and vaccine cost was the most influential parameter affecting the sensitivity analyses, consequently incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. A wide range in the cost-effectiveness ratio was observed in the included studies due to different study settings, populations, and inconsistencies in modeling practices (variations in methodological approaches).

CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests the introduction of HPV vaccination alone or in combination with screening according to different countries. The price of the vaccine should be economical and funds for the vaccine should be provided by public sector firms.