Roche and PAHO partner to expand HPV screening in Latin America

Roche Diagnóstica and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have signed an agreement to accelerate access to integrated HPV DNA screening solutions across Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative aims to strengthen screening programs to support the PAHO Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Cervical Cancer 2018–2030 and the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating the disease as a public health problem.

Latin America and the Caribbean currently face the second-highest incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer globally, following Africa. The region reports an age-adjusted incidence rate of 15.1 cases per 100,000 women, significantly higher than the WHO elimination threshold of four cases per 100,000.

The agreement includes the use of molecular testing and self-sampling methods, allowing women to collect their own samples to overcome cultural and logistical barriers to healthcare access. In the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Public Health has already begun distributing 15,000 HPV diagnostic tests acquired through this agreement to strengthen coverage in high-prevalence areas.