Indonesia Is The Country With The Highest Cervical Cancer In Southeast Asia, A Sign Of HPV Vaccination Must Be More Active!

JAKARTA - Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can cause various diseases, one of which is cervical cancer or cervix neck cancer. Cancer caused by HPV is still a serious threat to the world population, including Indonesia.

Indonesia is currently the country with the highest cervical cancer cases in Southeast Asia. This is certainly a health burden that must be addressed immediately, especially since the number of women in Indonesia due to cervical cancer is quite high.

"Indonesia is the country with the most cervical cancer sufferers in Southeast Asia," said PP PAPDI General Chair, Dr.dr. Eka Ginanjar, SpPD, K-KV, FINASIM, FACP, FICA, MARSH, SH, during a press conference held with MSD, in Menteng, Jakarta, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

"This is a disease with a big burden, so we have to do something. Moreover, every two hours two Indonesian women die of cervical cancer," he added.

To overcome this disease, vaccination is an important step that must be intensified. Through the continuous development of science and technology, efforts to prevent cancer related to HPV from becoming wide open, especially through the latest generation of vaccinations that provide comprehensive protection against HPV that causes cancer that is dominant in Indonesia.

Currently, there is a selection of HPV vaccines that have wider protection coverage, up to nine types of HPV. This allows more comprehensive protection of the most common subtype that causes cervical cancer.

Therefore, the public can vaccinate HPV, namely with the latest HPV vaccinations that can protect against 9 types of viruses, including types 52 and 58 which are most often found in Indonesia. People can start by discussing with health workers to get more in-depth and comprehensive information in relation to this vaccination," explained Internal Medicine Specialist, dr. Anshari Saifuddin Hasibuan, Sp.PD, K-AI.

The Indonesian people are advised to take steps to prevent HPV infection by vaccination according to the recommendations of the Indonesian Internal Medicine Specialist Association (PAPDI).

HPV vaccination can be given to girls from 9 years old. This is in accordance with IDAI 2023 recommendations and IDAI 2020 recommendations, which are given to girls aged 9 - 14 years. For adults, PAPDI has also issued an adult immunization schedule, where HPV vaccination can be given from the age of 19.

"We encourage the public to take steps to prevent HPV infection by vaccinating HPV according to the recommendations of PAPDI," added the Head of the PP PAPDI Immunization Task Force, Dr. dr. Sukamto Koesnoe, SpPD, K-AI, FINASIM.

For those who have been vaccinated with the previous generation, the revaccination of HPV with the new generation of HPV vaccines can be considered. For those who have not been vaccinated, you can consider vaccinating a new generation to get wider protection," concluded Doctor Sukamto.