This session opened the CHIC Symposium on HPV Vaccination in Africa, co‑hosted with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health and national gynecology society. Over 80 participants from 20 African countries exchanged lessons on planning, delivery approaches, and sustainable platforms for HPV vaccination. Discussions addressed dose schedules (including one‑dose evidence), stakeholder training, and post‑COVID coverage recovery. Speakers emphasized […]
Year: 2022
Country experience from Maldives on delivery approaches
The Maldives delivered HPV vaccines through a nationwide school-based campaign coordinated centrally by the Health Protection Agency and Ministry of Health. Vaccinators from health facilities were deployed to schools, supported by regional and atoll-level health centers. Parental consent and awareness sessions were prioritized, with targeted communication to address hesitancy. Vaccine distribution followed a centralized supply […]
Stakeholder Engagement And Sustainable Delivery Platforms For Hpv Vaccination Programs – Q&A Session
The Q&A highlighted operational challenges in HPV vaccine delivery, including discrepancies in coverage data (targets vs. actuals) and high dropout rates between doses. Tanzania explained over-100% coverage as linked to outdated population estimates and mobility of school-aged girls. Experts emphasized microplanning, community health worker involvement, and electronic registries to track defaulters. Tamil Nadu shared integration […]
Adolescent health integration with HPV vaccination programExperience from Tanzania
The presentation shared Tanzania’s journey introducing HPV vaccination nationally in 2018, following a 2014 pilot. Girls aged 9–14 receive two free doses, primarily through routine services and school outreach. Integration with adolescent health programs (nutrition, deworming, HIV) has improved coverage and resource use. Teachers play a key role in mobilization and tracking, while community engagement […]
Adolescent health integration: leveraging opportunitiesExample from Tamil Nadu State, India
Dr. K. Vinay Kumar presented Tamil Nadu’s structured approach to integrating adolescent health programs with routine immunization. The state’s robust three-tier health system supports school-based services, including screening, iron–folic acid supplementation, and menstrual hygiene initiatives. Leveraging programs like RBSK and Kannoli Kappom Thittam, Tamil Nadu expanded outreach through mobile medical units and school collaborations. The […]
Cervical cancer prevention and control; global overview on disease burden, WHO elimination goals and tools to achieve these goals
Dr. Cherian Varghese (WHO SEARO) resented a global overview of cervical cancer prevention and control, emphasizing the WHO elimination strategy of “90-70-90” (vaccination, screening, and treatment targets) to reduce incidence below four per 100,000 women. He highlighted the disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries, the promise of single-dose HPV vaccination and self-sampling for screening, […]
HPV related disease burden, mortality, social and economic impact – Nepal
Dr. Murari Man Shrestha (Nepal) presented the status of cervical cancer in Nepal, the leading cancer among women in the country. He described geographic and health‑system challenges—remote terrain, limited diagnostics, and incomplete data—while noting that incidence is likely underreported. Current estimates show over 2,200 annual cases and nearly 1,500 deaths, with high social and economic […]
HPV related disease burden, mortality, social and economic impact – Sri Lanka
Dr. Suraj Perera (Sri Lanka) presented national data on HPV-related cancers, noting that cervical cancer remains the leading HPV-associated cancer among Sri Lankan women. Using cancer registry data (capturing 90–95% of cases), he showed rising overall cancer incidence, with cervical cancer rates at 9.9 per 100,000 in 2019. Screening is offered twice (ages 35 and […]
HPV related disease burden, mortality, social and economic impact – Maldives
Dr. Aminath Nusra (Maldives) described the cervical cancer situation in the Maldives, a small island nation with 563,000 people and no national screening or cancer registry. Current data, mostly from private hospitals and the Cancer Society, indicate very low reported incidence (
HPV related disease burden, mortality, social and economic impact – Pakistan
Dr. Fauzia Assad highlighted the country’s medium‑to‑high cervical cancer burden, with an estimated 5,000 new cases and 3,000 deaths annually among 68 million women at risk. Pakistan lacks a central cancer registry, national screening program, and formal cervical cancer policy, though political commitment for HPV vaccine introduction is emerging. Screening is limited to opportunistic Pap […]