AMREF improves access to HPV vaccines for girls out of school

Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local authorities in Nakaseke District are calling on the Ministry of Health to extend the delivery of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine beyond schools into communities in a bid to reach more girls, especially those out of school.

Speaking to Uganda Radio Network (URN), Gorrettie Mukagatare, the Secretary for Finance in the Nakaseke Local Government, emphasized the need for a broader outreach strategy. She noted that while the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, is available in schools, many girls in areas such as Nakaseke North remain unreached due to being out of school.

HPV vaccines were rolled out nationally in 2015, targeting girls aged between 10 and 15 years. However, Mukagatare — formerly the district’s health minister—said that a decade later, uptake remains low in the cattle corridor due to persistent misinformation and skepticism.

She cited community fears that the vaccine could lead to infertility, particularly among out-of-school girls whose parents are more likely to keep them away from immunization efforts.  Mukagatare pointed to recent progress made through a project dubbed “Saving Lives and Livelihoods,” implemented by AMREF Health Africa in Uganda.

Through door-to-door campaigns and public education, the project managed to change perceptions and encourage caregivers to bring girls to outreach centers for vaccination.

She believes that if the Ministry of Health formally adopts similar community-based strategies, especially in hard-to-reach areas, vaccine coverage would significantly improve.  In an earlier interview with URN, Dr. Richard Kabanda, the Commissioner for Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health, acknowledged that while schools offer a cost-effective platform for reaching many girls with the first dose of the HPV vaccine, administering the second dose remains a challenge.

Some girls relocate or drop out, making follow-up difficult.  In Uganda, the HPV vaccine is administered in two doses, six months apart, to girls aged 10 to 14 years.  Experts say that when taken in full, the vaccine prevents up to 90 percent of HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer, which is among the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in Uganda.

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URN