Malta is a small, island country in the Mediterranean Sea that lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. Malta is an archipelago, but only the three largest islands of Malta, Gozo (GÄ§awdex) and Kemmuna (Comino) are inhabited.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against infection by certain strains of HPV. Human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. HPV has also been linked to other kinds of cancers, including vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers.
Current preventive vaccines protect against the two HPV types (16 and 18) that cause about 70% of cervical cancers worldwide. Because of the distribution of HPV types associated with cervical cancer, the vaccines are likely to be most effective in Asia, Europe, and North America.