Cervical cancer represents a significant disease burden worldwide, with a disproportionate impact upon women in developing countries.

Of the 530,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide each year, more than 85 percent occur in less developed regions of the world. In September 2007, Merck announced at the Clinton Global Initiative a major commitment to help improve access to GARDASIL^® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] in developing countries. Through the charitable GARDASIL Access Program, Merck pledged to donate at least three million doses of GARDASIL for use in smaller scale human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination projects in eligible lowest-income countries around the world.

The GARDASIL Access Program enables participating organizations and institutions in eligible lowest income countries to gain operational experience designing and implementing HPV vaccination projects, with the goal of supporting the development of successful child and adolescent immunization models. By actively disseminating the operational experiences and lessons learned by participants, this program is contributing to the public knowledge base on HPV vaccine access and child and adolescent immunization models in developing countries.

The GARDASIL Access Program accommodates proposals from applicants to conduct smaller scale HPV vaccination projects rather than nationwide programs, and all applicants must secure formal endorsement from their respective Ministries of Health. The program encourages applicants to follow World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and guidelines for HPV vaccination.

The program is managed by Axios Healthcare Development (AHD), a U.S. nonprofit organization, with strategic guidance provided by the independent GARDASIL Access Program Advisory Board, comprised of international public health experts. AHD administers the program, reviews and approves applications based on Advisory Board recommendations, and coordinates delivery of donated vaccine to participants with technical assistance from Axios International, a public health consultancy specializing in developing and emerging countries. The program's Advisory Board provides strategic advice and technical suggestions to optimize the effectiveness and quality of the program, reviews incoming applications from eligible organizations and institutions, and recommends to AHD those applications that meet the stringent criteria required for participation in the program.