March 10, 2011
An HIV treatment facility in Uganda recently became the nation's first center dedicated to HIV to also offer young HIV-positive girls, ages 9 to 13, a vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer, Nature Medicine News reports. The publication notes, "Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the developing world. The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that more than 274,000 women die of cervical cancer each year and that 80% of these deaths occur in developing countries." The article describes how distribution of the vaccines through the HIV treatment clinics could help to alleviate the pressure on schools and health centers that are currently "overstretched" and how such efforts represent a move toward a "larger plan whereby governments will integrate HIV services in normal delivery of health care" (Nakkazi, 3/7).