Economic Evaluation of HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening

School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains a major public health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite being largely preventable through HPV vaccination and cervical screening. This review synthesizes current evidence on the economic value of HPV prevention strategies, including vaccination, screening, and combined approaches. Available studies show that the value of HPV vaccination varies by vaccine type, target population, dose schedule, coverage, and local resource constraints. In general, routine vaccination of girls remains the most efficient strategy, while single-dose schedules and lower-cost vaccines may improve affordability and uptake in LMICs. For screening, high-risk HPV testing generally provides better long-term value than cytology or visual inspection with acetic acid, especially when combined with self-sampling to improve coverage in underserved populations. Evidence further suggests that integrated vaccination-plus-screening programs provide the greatest overall benefit by combining primary and secondary prevention. However, results remain highly context-specific and depend on vaccine price, screening infrastructure, follow-up capacity, and willingness-to-pay thresholds. More locally grounded research from LMICs is needed to inform equitable and feasible policies. Overall, effective cervical cancer prevention requires not only economically sound strategies, but also strong implementation and health system support.