Qiagen to assist in Rwandan cervical cancer vaccination

Qiagen is to offer free screening services as part of a national cervical cancer prevention programme taking place in the African nation of Rwanda.

The science company is allying with the country's government – as well as pharmaceutical firm Merck Sharpe and Dohme – to conduct the scheme, which will be the first comprehensive prevention initiative of its kind in Africa.

For the first three years of the scheme, Qiagen will provide 250,000 free tests to detect signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among women in different age groups, who will then be vaccinated with Merck's Gardasil treatment.

Equipment and training relating to testing will also be offered by Qiagen, allowing the vaccination programme to continue in a sustainable manner.

Peer Schatz, chief executive officer of Qiagen, said: "Expanding access to HPV testing, regardless of where a woman lives, is a commitment of Qiagen to help reduce the tremendous burden of cervical cancer, particularly in the developing world."

Earlier this year, the company entered into a new alliance with Epigenomics that will focus on the development of a blood testing system for colorectal cancer.