By Katalina Siasau

In Tonga, there are at least four cases of stage 3-4 cervical cancer every year. In these stages, patients cannot be treated..."they will die," said Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist, Dr. Ma’ake Tupou.

The Ministry of Health is conducting a campaign to protect women from cervical cancer.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can reduce and eliminate cervical cancer of Tongan women, said Dr. Tupou.

During a review workshop on the Ministry of Health's HPV vaccination campaign on 21 January, at Tanoa Hotel, Nuku'alofa, Dr. Tupou stressed the importance of the HPV vaccine against the devastating desease that is cervical cancer, the growth of abnormal cells in the cervix.

“We have the opportunity through this HPV vaccination campaign to reduce and even eliminate this cancer of the cervix for the women of Tonga. Thus, we can avoid great morbidity and premature deaths for our people," Dr. Ma'ake Tupou said.

The youngest age of cervical cancer found in Tonga was 23 years old.

“Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and in our collective team effort we have what it requires to eliminate this disease that burdens our women and ultimately our country.”

The Ministry of Health's HPV vaccine campaign resulted in 56% HPV vaccination coverage throughout Tonga, but they aim to reach 100%.

Common cancer worldwide

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main causative agent for its development. HPV is a heterogeneous virus, and a persistent infection with a high-risk HPV contributes to the development of cancer.

The World Health Organization targeted goals to eliminate cervical cancer by year 2030, states that each country should immunize for HPV 90% of all girls; should be able to screen 70% of all  women; and should be able to treat 90% of all women with cervical disease.

Tonga's Ministry of Health hopes to to achieve these goals by 2030, and ultimately reached 100% coverage of HPV vaccination in Tonga.

Protection reduces risk of infection

The CEO for Health Dr. Reynold ‘Ofanoa urged the need for more HPV vaccination coverage in order to prevent cervical cancer.

"The HPV vaccination program in Tonga has achieved meaningful progress but our data reveals that our coverage still falls short of the targets needed to provide widespread protection," he said.

"By vaccinating our young people we can significantly reduce the risk of HPV related diseases, including cervical cancer, and safeguard their future health."

Dr. 'Ofanoa noted that the consequences of poor vaccination rates risks preventable illness to take root, placing unnecessary burdens on families.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to collaboratively assess the Ministry of Health's HPV campaign progress.

The HPV vaccine was introduced in Tonga on 15 November 2022.

Initially, the vaccine was for girls age 10 - 17 but because this age group was very broad, it was hard to reach all of them. So in 2023, the group was cut down to only include girls age 10 - 14 years old.

This HPV vaccination was carried out in schools. Unfortunately, the coverage was generally very low. Last year from January to August, for Tongatapu alone, the coverage was only 9%. The Ministry of Health then changed from school approach to community approach, with teams going from home to home, to dispel many of the myths associated with vaccination.