LONDON, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- A study published on Monday in Lancet Oncology shows that a new cervical cancer test by QIAGEN, leader in molecular diagnostics, has a 90 percent success rate in identifying women with precancerous cervical disease.

    The report by You-lin Qiao and his colleagues undertook the screening test in Shanxi province in Northern China, proved to be far more effective than the current method (visual inspection) used in poor countries.

    The Netherlands-based QIAGEN has developed an affordable HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) DNA test specifically for women in developing regions of the world.

    The test, which can be run in areas without reliable electricity supplies (on battery power) and without clean water, is the fruit of a public-private partnership between QIAGEN and PATH (Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health), and its development was partly funded by the Gates Foundation.

    The study authors conclude the test, trade name care HPV, could provide an effective primary screening method for cervical cancer prevention in rural and low-resource settings.

    This could have huge implications for global public health, not to mention revenue implications for QIAGEN, as 85 percent of the 500,000 new cases and 300,000 cervical cancer deaths per year occur in the developing world, the report said.

    As vaccines have their limitations, screening is the best hope, especially for women aged 20 and above, it said.

    The test is described by the Lancet as "proof of concept" of the Gates-funded Public Private Partnership model.

    Worldwide, cervical cancer affects nearly 500,000 women annually and, after breast cancer, is the second-most-common malignancy found in women.

    Cervical cancer is caused by "high-risk" types of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which are sexually transmitted.

    It's estimated that 80 percent of women will get an HPV infection at some point in their lives. However, in most cases, the infection goes away or is suppressed by the body without causing problems.

    It is only infections that persist can cause abnormal cells which might develop into cervical cancer if not detected and treated early.

    One report from the World Health Organization estimates that only about 5 percent of women in the developing countries had been screened for cervical disease in the previous five years, compared to 40-50 percent in the developed world.