Abuja: Yunusa Bawa spends a lot of time talking about the vaccine for the human papillomavirus that is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. But in the rural area of Nigeria where he works, only two or three people allow their daughters to get vaccinated on most days.
The challenge in the Sabo community on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, is the unfounded rumour that the HPV vaccine will prevent young girls from giving birth later in life.
“The rumours are too much,” Bava, 42, said.
as more African Countries As they strive to roll out more HPV vaccines, Bawa and other health workers face challenges that slow progress, especially Fake news World Health Organization report on vaccine Africa The office estimates that about 25% of the population is still sceptical about it – mirroring concerns seen in some other parts of the world in early vaccine campaigns.
A common sexually transmitted virus, HPV can cause cervical cancer, some other cancers, and genital warts. In most cases, the virus doesn’t cause any problems, but some infections persist and eventually lead to cancer.
The average across Africa is 190 women In 2020, cervical cancer caused 23% of deaths per day, accounting for 23% of all deaths globally, and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Who The African region is home to 47 countries. Of the 20 countries with the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, 18 are in Africa. Yet the region’s HPV vaccination rate is low. The rate has been low.
More than half (28) of Africa’s 54 countries have incorporated the vaccine into their immunisation programmes, but only five have reached the 90% coverage the continent wants to achieve by 2030. Across the region, 33% of young girls have been vaccinated against HPV.
This is in stark contrast to most European countries, where both boys and girls are being offered HPV vaccines.
Emily Kobayashi, head of the HPV programme at Gavi, the vaccine alliance, said one reason for the high incidence of cervical cancer in Africa is limited access to testing for women.
“The elimination strategy is a long process … but we know that vaccination is the strongest pillar and the easiest to implement,” Kobayashi said.
But Charles Shey Wyasonge, head of the vaccine-preventable diseases programme in the WHO’s Africa region, said: “It’s one thing to get a vaccine, but if the vaccine is kept in a fridge, it doesn’t prevent cervical cancer.” He said information should be provided by people “who can be trusted, who are close to the communities.”
It has a long history Vaccine hesitancy In many African countries, the problem is sometimes compounded by a lack of trust in government, a study published in May in the journal Nature Science found, leading to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation by social media influencers and religious leaders.
In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women, a group of mostly women has been trained to raise awareness about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine in rural areas. But they face high levels of hesitancy among religious sects that discourage followers from modern medicines, telling them to rely on prayers and “anointed” water and stones.
Zanele Ndlovu, one of the health workers working on the outskirts of Bulawayo city, said women who finally agree to be screened for cervical cancer do so secretly.
For a religious country like Zimbabwe, “spiritual leaders have so much influence that a lot of our time is spent educating people about the safety of vaccines or telling them that they are not irreligious,” Ndlovu said.
There are also success stories in Africa where authorities have achieved vaccination rates of up to 90%. One example is Ethiopia, which relies heavily on religious leaders, teachers and hotline workers.
Coverage rates have reached 90% in Rwanda, the first African country to implement a national HPV vaccination program in 2011. Hesitancy is less of an issue because of vigorous awareness work relying on school-based campaigns and community outreach programs, said Dr. Theoneste Maniragaba, director of the cancer program at the Rwanda Biomedical Center.
Mozambique has rolled out a school-based program, door-to-door outreach and mobile outreach to girls in hard-to-reach areas, helping it reach an 80% coverage rate with the first of two doses. In Tanzania, where the HPV vaccine has been in use since at least 2018, officials launched a campaign in April to target more than 5 million girls and further increase coverage, reaching 79% of girls with the first dose.
Africa’s largest HPV vaccination campaign targeting girls was recently launched in Nigeria, which has procured nearly 15 million doses with the help of the UN children’s agency. It will target girls aged 9-14 with a single dose, which the WHO’s African Immunisation Advisory Group has said is as effective as the routine two doses.
Dr. Aisha Mustapha, a gynecologist in northern Kaduna state, said one challenge is to educate girls about HPV vaccination before they start sexual activity, especially in conservative societies.
Mustapha has been successfully treated for cervical cancer. She said the experience helps her in meetings with religious leaders and community outreach programmes in Kaduna, where she leads the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria.
She said they try to make the girls feel comfortable and explain why the vaccine is important. This sometimes requires comic books and a lot of singing.
“(Cervical) cancer … needs no diagnosis,” she said. “The vaccine is available, it’s free, it’s safe and effective.”
The challenge in the Sabo community on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, is the unfounded rumour that the HPV vaccine will prevent young girls from giving birth later in life.
“The rumours are too much,” Bava, 42, said.
as more African Countries As they strive to roll out more HPV vaccines, Bawa and other health workers face challenges that slow progress, especially Fake news World Health Organization report on vaccine Africa The office estimates that about 25% of the population is still sceptical about it – mirroring concerns seen in some other parts of the world in early vaccine campaigns.
A common sexually transmitted virus, HPV can cause cervical cancer, some other cancers, and genital warts. In most cases, the virus doesn’t cause any problems, but some infections persist and eventually lead to cancer.
The average across Africa is 190 women In 2020, cervical cancer caused 23% of deaths per day, accounting for 23% of all deaths globally, and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Who The African region is home to 47 countries. Of the 20 countries with the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, 18 are in Africa. Yet the region’s HPV vaccination rate is low. The rate has been low.
More than half (28) of Africa’s 54 countries have incorporated the vaccine into their immunisation programmes, but only five have reached the 90% coverage the continent wants to achieve by 2030. Across the region, 33% of young girls have been vaccinated against HPV.
This is in stark contrast to most European countries, where both boys and girls are being offered HPV vaccines.
Emily Kobayashi, head of the HPV programme at Gavi, the vaccine alliance, said one reason for the high incidence of cervical cancer in Africa is limited access to testing for women.
“The elimination strategy is a long process … but we know that vaccination is the strongest pillar and the easiest to implement,” Kobayashi said.
But Charles Shey Wyasonge, head of the vaccine-preventable diseases programme in the WHO’s Africa region, said: “It’s one thing to get a vaccine, but if the vaccine is kept in a fridge, it doesn’t prevent cervical cancer.” He said information should be provided by people “who can be trusted, who are close to the communities.”
It has a long history Vaccine hesitancy In many African countries, the problem is sometimes compounded by a lack of trust in government, a study published in May in the journal Nature Science found, leading to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation by social media influencers and religious leaders.
In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women, a group of mostly women has been trained to raise awareness about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine in rural areas. But they face high levels of hesitancy among religious sects that discourage followers from modern medicines, telling them to rely on prayers and “anointed” water and stones.
Zanele Ndlovu, one of the health workers working on the outskirts of Bulawayo city, said women who finally agree to be screened for cervical cancer do so secretly.
For a religious country like Zimbabwe, “spiritual leaders have so much influence that a lot of our time is spent educating people about the safety of vaccines or telling them that they are not irreligious,” Ndlovu said.
There are also success stories in Africa where authorities have achieved vaccination rates of up to 90%. One example is Ethiopia, which relies heavily on religious leaders, teachers and hotline workers.
Coverage rates have reached 90% in Rwanda, the first African country to implement a national HPV vaccination program in 2011. Hesitancy is less of an issue because of vigorous awareness work relying on school-based campaigns and community outreach programs, said Dr. Theoneste Maniragaba, director of the cancer program at the Rwanda Biomedical Center.
Mozambique has rolled out a school-based program, door-to-door outreach and mobile outreach to girls in hard-to-reach areas, helping it reach an 80% coverage rate with the first of two doses. In Tanzania, where the HPV vaccine has been in use since at least 2018, officials launched a campaign in April to target more than 5 million girls and further increase coverage, reaching 79% of girls with the first dose.
Africa’s largest HPV vaccination campaign targeting girls was recently launched in Nigeria, which has procured nearly 15 million doses with the help of the UN children’s agency. It will target girls aged 9-14 with a single dose, which the WHO’s African Immunisation Advisory Group has said is as effective as the routine two doses.
Dr. Aisha Mustapha, a gynecologist in northern Kaduna state, said one challenge is to educate girls about HPV vaccination before they start sexual activity, especially in conservative societies.
Mustapha has been successfully treated for cervical cancer. She said the experience helps her in meetings with religious leaders and community outreach programmes in Kaduna, where she leads the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria.
She said they try to make the girls feel comfortable and explain why the vaccine is important. This sometimes requires comic books and a lot of singing.
“(Cervical) cancer … needs no diagnosis,” she said. “The vaccine is available, it’s free, it’s safe and effective.”
