Economic Burden of HPV-related Cancers

The Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Aotearoa asked Sapere to quantify the economic burden of HPV-related cancers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here, economic burden refers to the direct costs associated with HPV-related cancers.

This report provides background information about HPV-related cancer incidence and prevention programmes in New Zealand, evidence on the cost-effectiveness of HPV-vaccination programmes and the findings from our cost-of-illness estimation showing the economic burden of HPV-related cancer to the health system in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation Aotearoa, Dr Swee Tan, said:

“HPV-related cancer is a huge issue for our country, particularly for our young people. We currently have four parallel programmes to tackle this problem: HPV vaccination; cervical screening; detection and treatment of pre-cancers; and harsh treatment of these cancers that comes with huge fiscal and human costs.

This could be reduced to just one: vaccination. But to do this, we need a 90% vaccination rate, and an ambitious timeframe for reaching this goal. This is in line with the World Health Organisation’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. Prevention is a far better way.

We’re currently missing a huge opportunity to reduce burden of disease for individuals and their whānau, and the costs to our health system.”

News articles:

How NZ is failing at HPV cancer prevention, RNZ, Gwen Mcclure, 19 September 2024

Charity calls for vaccination boost as cost of HPV cancers revealed, 1News, Nicole Bremner, 15 September 2024