Millions of women across Latin America and the Caribbean will gain access to cheaper, high-quality testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) under the first region-wide access agreements negotiated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), announced on 11 November 2026.

The agreements, negotiated through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds with support from Unitaid, will let countries buy World Health Organization-recommended molecular HPV tests at preferential prices, alongside a comprehensive support package. PAHO said participating countries are expected to save between 30% and 70% on the tests, which are used to screen for cervical cancer. The new terms apply on the same harmonised basis to every country and territory in the region covered by the Revolving Funds, and widen the range of WHO-recommended molecular testing technologies available through the pooled procurement system.

Five countries to lead the rollout

Unitaid will support implementation work in five countries — El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia — helping them introduce or expand HPV-based screening and strengthen follow-up care for women who test positive. So far, 16 countries and territories in the region have introduced HPV testing into their screening programmes, but PAHO said high costs have kept coverage limited.

PAHO has recommended HPV testing in cervical cancer screening since 2013 and issued updated guidance in 2026. The agreements form part of its Disease Elimination Initiative, which aims to end more than 30 communicable diseases in the Americas. Cervical cancer is largely preventable when the virus is detected early and pre-cancerous changes are treated, making affordable testing a central part of the elimination effort.