In the context of advancing vaccination strategies towards the achievement of cervical cancer elimination:

Composition

SAGE members

• Professor Carla Vizzotti, Argentina 
• Professor Punnee Pitisuttithum, Bangkok, Thailand 
  

Experts

• Professor Rakesh Aggarwal, Uttar Pradesh,india
• Professor Neerja Bhatla, New Delhi, India
• Dr Silvia Franceschi, Aviano, Italy
• Professor Eduardo Franco, Montreal, Canada
• Professor Suzanne Garland, Melbourne, Australia
• Professor Andrew J. Pollard, Oxford, UK
• Professor Youlin Qiao, Chengdu, China
• Professor Helen Rees, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Dr John Schiller, Bethesda, USA
• Professor Margaret Stanley, Cambridge, UK

WHO secretariat

• Paul Bloem
• Sarah Snidal
  

Declaration of interests

All members completed a declaration of interests form. Three SAGE members and five Working Group members reported relevant interests. All interests were assessed not to constitute a conflict of interest. It was concluded that all members could take part in full in all of the proceedings of the Working Group. The reported relevant interests are summarized below:

Rakesh Aggarwal

• Serves as advisory to the National Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) of India. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially non-significant*

Eduardo Franco

• He served as technical advisor to Merck (2007- 2017), GSK (until 2016) and currently serves to Roche. Those companies are involved with HPV diagnostics or HPV vaccines. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• His research unit (2) has received grants from Merck (2006- 2016) and Roche (2016-2017) to complement publicly funded research initiated by him on HPV transmission, protection and screening. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His research unit (2) has received multiple grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (1991-2023), US National Institutes of Health (1996-2003, 2005-2009), and Canadian Cancer Society (2015-2019) to fund studies of the molecular epidemiology of HPV infection and cervical cancer screening. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant.
• He is funded by Elsevier to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the journals Preventive Medicine and Preventive Medicine Reports. The funds are used to maintain an editorial office with four members. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially significant*.

Suzanne Garland

• Her research unit (3) currently receives a competitive grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health, Australia for conducting research on HPV genotype prevalence surveillance post vaccination programme. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2014 a grant from Merck to evaluate HPV in RRP post vaccination programme. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2014 a grant from Seqirus [Bio-CSL] for a HPV cervical cancer study. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She received a travel grant in 2015 from Merck to give a presentation at the HPV advisory board meeting V503. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She received in 2018 an honorarium from Merck for giving lectures “Global Trends in HPV Vaccination: Where are we now and what do we need to do?” at the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2017 a fund from Merck which was donated by Dr Garland for delivering lectures at the Asia Oceania Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia (AOGIN) India National meeting. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She is a member of the Working Group of National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (NPAAC) to develop minimum validation standards for testing self-collection samples for HPV in the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP). This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially insignificant*.
• She is the chair of the Publication Steering Committee for the IPVS (International Papillomavirus Society) and a current Board member of IPVS. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially insignificant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2014 a grant from Merck Sharp & Dohme Australia Pty Ltd on HPV Genotyping of incident juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis cases as part of national surveillance post HPV vaccination. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2017 a grant from Merck Sharp & Dohme Australia Pty Ltd Monitoring the effectiveness of the Australian cervical cancer vaccine programme: translation to reduction in vaccine-related HPV infection. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2017 a competitive grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to analyse how likely are suggested reasons for false diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections in young children? This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2014 a competitive grant from Novo Nordisk Regional Grants Scheme on Young Female Health Initiative (YFHIDM): Type 1 Diabetes. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2014 a competitive grant from the Health Surveillance Fund for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Surveillance Program. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) currently receives a competitive grant from the Health Surveillance Fund for human Papillomavirus Genotype Surveillance. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) currently receives a competitive grant from DFID/MRC [Department for International Development/ [Medical Research Council ] /WellcomeTrust Joint Global health Trials (JGHT) for Point-of-care testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections to improve pregnancy outcomes in resource-limited, high-burden settings, Papua New Guinea. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2016 the Genesis Oncology Trust Research Project competitive Grant for a study on the Prevalence, incidence and persistence of oral HPV infection among young adults. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2016 several competitive grants from NHMRC for Point-of-care HPV-DNA testing for cervical cancer screening in high-burden, low-resource settings, a study on Serological responses to anal HPV infection: Characterising the natural history of anal HPV and a study on the Impact of Extreme Prematurity or Extreme Low Birthweight on Young Adult Health and Well-Being: The Victorian Infant Collaborative Study (VICS) 1991-92. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received in 2016 a competitive grant from Lottery Health Research [ LHR] for a study on the Prevalence of Oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) received until 2017 a competitive grant from the Research Translation Project – Government of Western Australia Dept. of Health for a Proof of Concept Cervical Human Papillomavirus Treatment Trial. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) currently receives a competitive grant from the Cancer Council Victoria on evaluating molecular biomarkers of anal cancer risk. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) currently receives the Alfred Research Trusts Seeding competitive Grant for a study on Antibiotic treatment of male partners to reduce recurrence of bacterial vaginosis in women: pilot project. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her research unit (3) currently receives a grant from the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) for a study on an integrated approach to cervical cancer prevention: Optimising HPV vaccination and cervical screening. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
  

Andrew Pollard

• His institution (4) receives research support from CEPI, UKRI and NIHR on Covid-19 vaccine. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) has entered into a partnership with Astra Zeneca for further development of the ChAdOx-nCoV19 (University of Oxford) vaccine against COVID19 vaccine. Role: Co-Investigator. This interest was assessed as non-personal, specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives research support from BMGF on typhoid conjugate vaccine. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received research support until 2016 from Okairos on RSV vaccine. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received research support on a grant for a study on the cause of fever with Bexsero funded by a European Commission grant (EUCLIDS; funding 2011- 2017). The vaccine for the study is provided by Novartis/GSK. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received research support on a grant for a study on the efficacy of a typhoid vaccine (Typbar-CV) produced by Bharat Biotech, India (2013-2016). No funding was received from Bharat Biotech, the grant was funded by BMGF. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received in 2018 research support from MRC on paratyphoid vaccine (University of Maryland). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received research support on a grant for a study on the treatment of encephalitis in children with intravenous immunoglobulin (supply and distribution funding agreement with CSL Behring) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (2015-2020). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4)received research support on a grant for a study on the infant pneumococcal vaccine schedule in Nepal (2013-2017), funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) received unrestricted educational grants from Pfizer/GSK/Astra Zeneca in 2016, from Gilead/MSD/GSK/Astra Zeneca in June 2017 and from Gilead/Sanofi Pasteur/GSK/Astra Zeneca in June 2018 and from GSK and Gilead in July 2019 for a course on Infection & Immunity in Children. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives research support on a grant for a study on pertussis vaccines funded by a European Commission grant (PERISCOPE, 2016-current). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives research support on RSV biomarkers funded by a European Commission grant (RESCEU 2016-current). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives research support on a grant for a study pneumococcal pneumonia and carriage by a European Commission Horizon 2020 grant (2016-2020). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives grants from Innovate UK for plague and Q fever vaccines (2016-2019). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives a grant from Meningitis Research Foundation to study Bexsero in teenagers (2018-current) and MRC to study novel meningococcal vaccine in phase I. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• His institution (4) receives (2018-current) a grant from the BMA on RSV. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Serves as investigator for a study an Ebola vaccine developed by Janssen (2015-current) funded by a European Commission IMI grant (EBOVAC). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Serves as Chair of UK Department of Health’s Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunization and served until 2020 as chair of the EMA Scientific Advisory Group on Vaccines (SAG-V). This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves on the Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories scientific advisory committee. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.

You-Lin Qiao

• He received in 2016 a travel grant from MSD for attending HPV Board meetings. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.

Helen Rees

• Serves as Chair of the WHO AFRO RITAG. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as non-voting member on the CEPI Board. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as Chair of CEPI Scientific Advisory Board. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as member of the GAVI Board. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as Chair of the GAVI Programme and Policy Committee. This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves a member of the South African National Advisory Group on Immunisation (NAGI). This interest was assessed as personal, non-specific and financially insignificant*.
• Her institution (5) receives research support on Novovax nCOV501 - A phase 2A/B, randomised, observer-blinded, placebo controlled study from PPD Global. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her institution (5) receives research support on Pfizer C4591015 - phase 2/3 Study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of SARSCoV- 2 RNA Vaccine from Pfizer. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her institution (5) receives research support on Wits RHI – VACS31518C=V2004 an open-label, phase 2 study to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S in healthy pregnant women. This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.
• Her institution (5) receives research support on Crown Coronation co-primary Coronation Co- to determine the effectiveness (and effective dose) of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from BMGF. . This interest was assessed as non-personal, non-specific and financially significant*.

John Schiller

• He is an inventor of an US government owned patent related to HPV prophylactic vaccines. The co-exclusive licenses to Merck and GSK have expired in 2017. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• Serves as advisor to the Path’s Single Dose HPV Vaccine Consortium. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as advisor to the BMFG HPV Vaccine advisory board. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially insignificant*.
• Serves as member of PATH’s CVIA-087 HPV vaccine trial DSMB. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially insignificant*.

Margaret Stanley

• She served until 2017 as a member of the global advisory board of HPV vaccines of Merck. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She currently serves as a member of the scientific advisory board of vaccines of MSD Europe. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She served in 2016 as member of the Scientific Advisory Board Phase IV Trial Finland of GSK. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She served in 2017 as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board HPV vaccines of GSK. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.
• She served in 2018 as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Inovio Pharmaceuticals. This interest was assessed as personal, specific and financially significant*.

* According to WHO's Guidelines for Declaration of Interests (WHO expert), an interest is considered "personal" if it generates financial or non-financial gain to the expert, such as consulting income or a patent. "Specificity" states whether the declared interest is a subject matter of the meeting or work to be undertaken. An interest has "financial significance" if the honoraria, consultancy fee or other received funding, including those received by expert's organization, from any single vaccine manufacturer or other vaccine-related company exceeds 5,000 USD in a calendar year. Likewise, a shareholding in any one vaccine manufacturer or other vaccine-related company in excess of 1,000 USD would also constitute a “significant shareholding”.

(1) Mother & Child Care & Research Inc.
(2) Department of Oncology, McGill University
(3) Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
(4) Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
(5) Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa