Nigeria vaccinates 18 million girls against HPV

Nigeria has vaccinated over 18 million adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), reaching approximately 76 per cent of the country’s target population. This progress follows the introduction of the HPV vaccine into the national immunization programme in October 2023.

Dr Rufai Garba, Director of Disease Control and Immunization at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, announced the figures during a strategic policy roundtable in Abuja. He noted that the number of vaccinated girls is equivalent to the population of three African countries.

Despite the progress, officials emphasized that vaccination must be paired with screening, early diagnosis, and treatment to effectively eliminate cervical cancer. Nigeria currently records approximately 12,000 new cervical cancer cases and nearly 8,000 deaths annually. To address challenges such as reaching healthy nine-year-old girls, the agency is utilizing school-based vaccination and outreach campaigns.