title: The burden of human papillomavirus infections and related diseases in sub-saharan Africa.
abstract: Despite the scarcity of high quality cancer registries and lack of reliable mortality data, it is clear that human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated diseases, particularly cervical cancer, are major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Cervical cancer incidence rates in SSA are the highest in the world and the disease is the most common cause of cancer death among women in the region. The high incidence of cervical cancer is a consequence of the inability of most countries to either initiate or sustain cervical cancer prevention services. In addition, it appears that the prevalence of HPV in women with normal cytology is higher than in more developed areas of the world, at an average of 24%. There is, however, significant regional variation in SSA, with the highest incidence of HPV infection and cervical cancer found in Eastern and Western Africa. It is expected that, due to aging and growth of the population, but also to lack of access to appropriate prevention services and the concomitant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in SSA will rise over the next 20 years. HPV16 and 18 are the most common genotypes in cervical cancer in SSA, although other carcinogenic HPV types, such as HPV45 and 35, are also relatively more frequent compared with other world regions. Data on other HPV-related anogenital cancers including those of the vulva, vagina, anus, and penis, are limited. Genital warts are common and associated with HPV types 6 and 11. HIV infection increases incidence and prevalence of all HPV-associated diseases. Sociocultural determinants of HPV-related disease, as well as the impact of forces that result in social destabilization, demand further study. Strategies to reduce the excessive burden of HPV-related diseases in SSA include age-appropriate prophylactic HPV vaccination, cervical cancer prevention services for women of the reproductive ages, and control of HIV/AIDS. This article forms part of a regional report entitled "Comprehensive Control of HPV Infections and Related Diseases in the Sub-Saharan Africa Region" Vaccine Volume 31, Supplement 5, 2013. Updates of the progress in the field are presented in a separate monograph entitled "Comprehensive Control of HPV Infections and Related Diseases" Vaccine Volume 30, Supplement 5, 2012.
authors: Infection and Cancer Epidemiology Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO-IARC), Lyon, France.
authors: Hugo
authors: H
authors: De Vuyst
authors: Unit of Infections and Cancer (UNIC), Cancer Epidemiology Research Program (CERP), Institut Català d'Oncologia - Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
authors: Laia
authors: L
authors: Alemany
authors: Centre for Immunology and Infection, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Lacey
authors: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A and Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors: Carla J
authors: CJ
authors: Chibwesha
authors: Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors: Vikrant
authors: V
authors: Sahasrabuddhe
authors: Department of Child Health and Development Centre, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Cecily
authors: C
authors: Banura
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: Lynette
authors: L
authors: Denny
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC Global Women's Health, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Electronic address: groesbeck.parham@cidrz.org.
authors: Groesbeck P
authors: GP
authors: Parham
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D052685:Alphapapillomavirus; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D019371:Topography, Medical; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Anogenital cancers; Cervical cancer; Genital warts; HPV epidemiology; Sub-Saharan Africa