GOOD HEALTH FIVE MEDICAL ADVANCES TO CELEBRATE

With humanitarian funding slashed by the US and other countries, this year's global health headlines have made grim reading. But good things have still been happening in vaccine research and in the treatment of certain illnesses

- Kat Lay

1 Millions of girls have been protected against cervical cancer

A target to protect 86 million girls against cervical cancer by the end of 2025 was achieved ahead of schedule, boosting hopes among experts that cervical cancer can be eliminated within the next century.

Gavi, the vaccine alliance, launched its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme in 2014, when vaccine coverage in Africa was just 4%. By the end of 2022, it was only 15% - but scientists had discovered that a single dose could give comparable protection to the two doses originally used. That would make it simpler to deliver vaccination programmes, and stretch supplies twice as far.

In 2023, Gavi announced its ambitious target to protect 86 million girls by 2025 and a concerted push saw coverage in Africa rise. By the end of 2024, it was at 44% - higher than Europe's 38%.

In November, Dr Sania Nishtar, Gavi's chief executive, credited “countries, partners, civil society and communities” for reaching the 86m target early, and “driving major global progress towards eliminating one of the deadliest diseases affecting women”.

Cervical cancer remains widespread and deadly in poorer parts of the world - 85% of new cases are in sub-Saharan Africa - and a woman dies from the disease every two minutes.

But a jab against the virus can avert 17.4 deaths for every 1,000 children vaccinated, according to Gavi, meaning the 86m vaccinations will prevent an estimated 1.4m cervical cancer deaths.

2 First new type of malaria treatment in decades

After successful clinical trials, the first new type of malaria treatment in decades is to seek regulatory approval. GanLum, from pharma company Novartis, outperformed the standard treatment by demonstrating a cure rate of 99.2% compared with 96.7%.