Brazil, which has been a Participating State of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) since 2013, recently took an important step in its efforts to prevent cervical cancer. Professor Nísia Trindade Lima, the Minister of Health of Brazil, announced in early April 2024 that the country will adopt a single-dose strategy in its vaccination programmes against human papillomavirus (HPV).
Dr Iacopo Baussano, a scientist in the Early Detection, Prevention, and Infections Branch at IARC, explains how IARC’s research was instrumental to Brazil updating its recommendations. He also explains the scale of the problems of HPV and cervical cancer in Brazil and how this decision will make a difference.