Nigeria says HPV vaccination reaches more than 18 million girls
Nigeria has vaccinated more than 18 million adolescent girls against human papillomavirus, covering about 76 per cent of its target population, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said. Officials said vaccination must be combined with screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up to reduce the country’s cervical cancer burden.
Nigeria has vaccinated more than 18 million adolescent girls against human papillomavirus, covering about 76 per cent of its target population, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said on Tuesday. Dr Rufai Garba, the agency’s director of disease control and immunisation, announced the figure at a policy roundtable in Abuja organised by MSD and Africa Health Business. He said the number represented substantial progress since the vaccine was added to Nigeria’s national immunisation programme in October 2023.
The first phase targeted 7.7 million girls aged nine to 14, with support from Gavi, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and other partners. The programme was later expanded nationwide. HPV infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer, while vaccination and screening are key prevention measures.
Garba said vaccination alone would not eliminate the disease. He urged greater attention to screening, early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. International targets set by the WHO include vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against HPV by age 15, screening 70 per cent of women by ages 35 and 45, and treating 90 per cent of women with pre-cancer or invasive cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimated that Nigeria recorded 13,676 new cervical cancer cases and 7,093 deaths in 2023. Garba separately said the country saw about 12,000 new cases annually and nearly 8,000 deaths each year. He said the vaccine was free for eligible nine-year-old girls at public health facilities, while private facilities could vaccinate people outside the routine target age.
Challenges include reaching healthy girls with preventive services, prompting school-based vaccination and outreach campaigns. Garba also called for adolescent-friendly services and warned against private facilities charging for government-supplied vaccines. He said stock levels were monitored through a logistics dashboard and vaccines could be redistributed.
MSD’s Vuyo Mjekula called for stronger private-sector involvement in screening and treatment.
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