Increasing HPV Vaccination in Rural Kenya
Depending on where you live, you may remember getting the HPV vaccine in middle school. Maybe you remember hearing adults debating whether or not you should get the shot. Or maybe you have no idea whether it was one of the (likely many, if you live in a WEIRD country) shots you got at an annual checkup. In the early tween years, you may have been more preoccupied with evading gym class or scheming ways to trade your friend for the extra cookie in their lunchbox.
Despite the irrelevance of the term ‘HPV’ to many middle schoolers’ minds, the human papillomavirus is a serious health problem, with its DNA carried by over 291 million women globally.1 HPV, a sexually transmitted infection, is the leading cause of cervical cancer worldwide—studies estimate that it is present in 90% of cases. With cervical cancer as the fourth leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths, this means women faced approximately 620,000 new cancer cases caused by HPV in 2019 alone.1
The Good News?
The HPV vaccine is the most effective method of preventing cervical cancer. The vaccine is cheap, easy, and well-tested. Generally, the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls ages 9 to 13 years old. Although boys can and should also receive the HPV vaccine (as they can spread the disease to female partners and everyone’s increased vaccination may lead to herd immunity), girls’ vaccination has been prioritized, as they are the ones at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Although the full HPV vaccine includes multiple doses, with immunocompromised individuals requiring up to three doses, a 2022 release from the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that just a single dose of the HPV vaccine still significantly reduces the risk of cervical cancer.2
All of this being said, although HPV vaccines are highly effective and beneficial, they should not be considered as a replacement for other important cervical cancer prevention measures (like continued screening).
References
- Kombe Kombe, A. J., Li, B., Zahid, A., Mengist, H. M., Bounda, G. A., Zhou, Y., & Jin, T. (2021). Epidemiology and Burden of Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases, Molecular Pathogenesis, and Vaccine Evaluation. Frontiers in public health, 8, 552028. https://doi-org.gate3.library.lse.ac.uk/10.3389/fpubh.2020.552028
- World Health Organization. (2022, July). WHO updates recommendations on HPV vaccination schedule. https://www.who.int/news/item/20-12-2022-WHO-updates-recommendations-on-HPV-vaccination-schedule
- World Health Organization. A global strategy for elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem (2020). Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014107
- World Health Organization. (2024). Cervical Cancer [Fact Sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0N9JIkTfOw7nF2oti2fpUtgIPmhDzKX_GIC5ofKsCltx8nh_Y-MkiRoCn-oQAvD_BwE
- World Health Organization. (2021) Kenya cervical cancer profile [Fact Sheet]. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-ken-2021-country-profile-en.pdf?sfvrsn=5af61b0b_38&download=true.
- Karanja-Chege, C. M. (2022). HPV vaccination in Kenya: the challenges faced and strategies to increase uptake. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.802947
- Adewumi, K., Nishimura, H., Oketch, S., Adsul, P., & Huchko, M. J. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to Cervical Cancer Screening in Western Kenya: a Qualitative Study. Journal of Cancer Education, 37(4), 1122–1128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01928-6
- Watson-Jones, D., Mugo, N., Lees, S., Mathai, M., Vusha, S., Ndirangu, G., & Ross, D. A. (2015). Access and Attitudes to HPV Vaccination amongst Hard-To-Reach Populations in Kenya. PLOS ONE, 10(6), e0123701. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123701
- Kolek, C. O., Opanga, S., Okalebo, F. A., Birichi, A. R., Kurdi, A., Godman, B., & Meyer, J. C. (2022). Impact of parental knowledge and beliefs on HPV vaccine hesitancy in Kenya—Findings and Implications. Vaccines (Basel), 10(8), 1185. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081185
- Kemp, S. (2024, February 23). Digital 2024: Kenya — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-kenya
- Kiburi, S. K., Paruk, S., & Chiliza, B. (2022). Mobile phone ownership, digital technology use and acceptability of digital interventions among individuals on opioid use disorder treatment in Kenya. Frontiers in Digital Health, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2022.975168
- Muinde, J. M., Chandra Bhanu, D. R., Neumann, R., Oduor, R. O., Kanja, W., Kimani, J. K., Mutugi, M. W., Smith, L., Jobling, M. A., & Wetton, J. H. (2021). Geographical and linguistic structure in the people of Kenya demonstrated using 21 autosomal STRs. Forensic Science International: Genetics, 53, 102535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102535
- Doull, M., O’Connor, A. M., Wells, G. A., Tugwell, P., & Welch, V. (2017). Peer-based interventions for reducing morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected women. Cochrane Library (CD-ROM). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004774.pub2
- Fu, L. Y., Bonhomme, L. A., Cooper, S. C., Joseph, J. G., & Zimet, G. D. (2014). Educational interventions to increase HPV vaccination acceptance: A systematic review. Vaccine, 32(17), 1901–1920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.01.091
- Gobbo, E., Hanson, C., Abunnaja, K., & Van Wees, S. H. (2023). Do peer-based education interventions effectively improve vaccination acceptance? a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16294-3
About the Author
Annika Steele
Annika completed her Masters at the London School of Economics in an interdisciplinary program combining behavioral science, behavioral economics, social psychology, and sustainability. Professionally, she’s applied data-driven insights in project management, consulting, data analytics, and policy proposal. Passionate about the power of psychology to influence an array of social systems, her research has looked at reproductive health, animal welfare, and perfectionism in female distance runners.
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