The Ministry of Health has announced a five-day nationwide campaign against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) for girls aged 9 to 18. Eligible girls will receive a single dose of the vaccine at their schools or via their communities. The vaccination will commence on 17-21 and will be rolled out in all fifteen counties.
The Acting Program Manager of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Dr. Yuah Nemah, said the campaign aims to vaccinate over five hundred thousand girls within the five days.
In Liberia, the fight against cervical cancer is critical. It is estimated that cervical cancer incidence is 37.5% and mortality is 34.1%. The disease ranks as the number one cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among women.
HPV is a common virus that spreads through skin-to-skin contact during sexual intercourse. The vaccine directly protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), an infection so staggeringly common that an estimated 80% of adults will have been exposed to it by age 45.
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Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, causing more than 209,000 deaths in 2022 in lower-income countries. However, HPV is associated with over 90% of these cancers.
Vaccination provides high protection against cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine has among the highest impacts of vaccines, with 17.4 deaths averted per 1,000 children vaccinated, and is one of the key interventions towards achieving the global strategy for cervical cancer elimination.
Despite Liberia integrating the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunization program in 2019 (following a 2016 introduction with Gavi, the vaccine alliance support), coverage remains low. Only 15-20% of eligible girls (aged 9-14) complete the two-dose series, which is far below the WHO's 90% target.
In this blog article published by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), a major obstacle lies in accessing and convincing adolescents, as highlighted by the 2022-2023 school-based campaign, which reached just 30% for the first dose. Coverage is especially sparse in rural areas, where healthcare access is limited.
The blog urges open discussion and strong community involvement as the necessary tools to break down barriers and achieve high success rates for the HPV vaccination program in Liberia. It also pointed out that Liberia's healthcare system struggles with multiple issues, including poor infrastructure, insufficient funding, and a lack of trained staff.
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These systemic problems are made worse by deep-seated cultural and religious beliefs that cause skepticism toward medical interventions, leading to controversy and misconceptions around the HPV vaccine for adolescents.
