Expert: A woman dies from cervical cancer every three days in Armenia

Every year, Armenia records 250-260 cases of cervical cancer. At first sight, this isn’t a large number. However, according to oncologist-chemotherapist Davit Zohrabyan, 250 cases a year means 1 case every 1.5 days, and a woman dies from cervical cancer every 3 days.

According to the expert, cervical cancer is a pressing issue around the world, but prevalence varies in different countries. Interestingly, the disease is considered rather prevalent in Armenia.

Head of the Research Center of Maternal and Child Health Protection Georgy Okoev claims that there is a need for a complex approach to the issue of cervical cancer in Armenia. Screening, diagnosis, treatment and, of course, prevention of the disease must be at a proper level in order to fight against the disease effectively, and one of the most effective ways of preventing the disease is to be vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus Infection (HPV).

As epidemiologist Arman Badalyan stated, the age limit for vaccination against Gardasil 4 (vaccine against HPV) has increased in Armenia, based on the studies conducted in other countries, including the US.

Some experts claim that recommendations for people under 45 to be vaccinated are related to Gardasil 9, not Gardasil 4, which is currently used in Armenia, but according to Badalyan, all the studies in the States were conducted with Gardasil 4. However, when it became clear that it really reduces the spread of HPV among the population and in the precancerous condition, they expanded the age limit, and recommendation to vaccinate people under 45 was included in the protocols for Gardasil 9 since the US uses this vaccine.

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