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Community engagement for HPV vaccination in Nigeria

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Twenty-one women die of cervical cancer each day in Nigeria which has the seventh highest number of new cases per year in the world. The Nigerian government launched a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program in October 2023, making the vaccine free for all girls aged 9–14 years old. However, many eligible girls were not vaccinated, necessitating further community engagement. We define community engagement as a mechanism where local people with shared objectives and interests work together to achieve a common goal. Although initially difficult, Nigeria was able to get 89% of its target population vaccinated. Community engagement is important to building trust in vaccination services, increasing vaccine awareness, and ultimately driving vaccine uptake.

Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections

DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2025-056496