cervical cancer vaccineMore
teenage girls in Kenya can now live without the fear of cervical cancer in
future, thanks to a growing coverage of the HPV vaccine in the country.
Kenya offers the HPV vaccine to girls aged 10–14 years. The
Ministry of Health says 79 per cent age-eligible girls received the jab in
2024, a growth from the previous year but below the 90 per cent target by the World
Health Organization (WHO).
Gavi,
the organisation that finances vaccines for Kenya and other developing
countries, said an estimated 86
million girls have been protected with the HPV jab in lower-income countries.
The vaccine prevented more than one
million future deaths from cervical cancer, the organisation said in a
statement.
“In 2023, Gavi, in partnership with countries
across the world, launched an ambitious campaign to protect 86 million girls
against the primary cause of cervical cancer and prevent more than a million
deaths. Thanks to incredible commitment from countries, partners, civil
society and communities, we have now reached that target ahead of schedule,” Gavi chief executive officer Dr Sania Nishtar said.
Gavi’s revitalised HPV
vaccination programme, re-launched in 2023, is estimated to have averted 1.4
million deaths. By the end of 2025, the vaccine will be available in countries
where 89 per cent of global cervical cancer cases currently occur.
Cervical cancer
disproportionately affects women in low-income nations, where screening and
treatment services are often limited.
According to Gavi, these countries account for
90 per cent of the 350,000 cervical cancer deaths recorded in 2022.
The HPV
vaccine, which protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause
of cervical cancer, is highly effective: Gavi estimates it averts 17.4 deaths
per 1,000 children vaccinated.
Between 2014 and 2024,
the HPV vaccine programme generated US$2.32 billion in economic benefits across
43 supported countries, the statement said.
To make the vaccine affordable,
Gavi used its market-shaping expertise to drive down costs.
Now, in supported
countries, the price per dose ranges between US$2.90 and US$5.18, compared to US$100 in some other markets.
Gavi said it also helped to spur
manufacturers to scale up supply, and mobilised governments and communities to
deliver the vaccine effectively.
A key turning point
came in 2022 when WHO officially recommended a
single-dose HPV schedule, instead of the previous two-dose regimen, doubling
the reach with the same supply.
According to the
Ministry of Health, Kenya records about 5,236 new cervical cancer cases
annually, and around 3,211 deaths, making it the second most frequent cancer
among women in the country.
Despite national
efforts, uptake of the HPV vaccine in Kenya has faced setbacks. Data from the
Ministry of Health shows coverage for the first HPV dose stood at about 79
per cent by the end of 2024, while second-dose coverage was around 38 per cent.
But the uptake varies
across different counties. For instance, in Murang’a county, vaccinations
coordinator Veronica Kang’ethe in August reported that only 18.72 per cent of
eligible girls (aged 10-14) received the first dose (HPV1) in 2024, and 27.43
per cent got the second dose (HPV2). This is a steep drop from 2023, when
uptake was 53 per cent for HPV1 and 37.31 per cent for HPV2.
Some of the decline
has been linked to myths, misinformation and hesitancy, factors that
researchers say continue to hinder full vaccine coverage.
In response, Kenya is
shifting its strategy. During the inaugural Star Health Translation Congress in
October, the Ministry of Health announced it will switch from a two-dose
regimen to a single-dose HPV vaccine, a change backed by local data showing
sufficient protection with one shot.
Dr Patrick Amoth,
Director General for Health, said, “This shift will enable the ministry to
reach more girls, especially in underserved areas. A single-dose regimen will
promote better coverage because we can reach more girls quickly.”
He said moving to one dose could help close the gap in coverage and free up resources
for other health priorities: “Our dream, both globally and nationally, is to
make cervical cancer a thing of the past by 2030.”