93% eligible girls get vaccinated against Human Papilloma Virus across Bangladesh

The Interim Government of Bangladesh completed the final phase of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in Barisal, Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Rangpur divisions, with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and WHO. 

The campaign, which ensured HPV vaccination reached 5.6 million adolescent girls (93 percent of those aged 10-14), including those from the most marginalized communities, is an essential step in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer in women.

Cervical cancer is caused by a common virus (HPV) and is a significant cause of death in women globally, as well as here in Bangladesh. Every year, more than five thousand women lose their lives to cervical cancer in this country.

The development, however, of life-threatening cancer is preventable. 

The first step is to ensure all women have received the HPV vaccine as adolescents. Studies have shown an almost 90 percent reduction in cervical cancer among those who received the vaccine, contributing to reduced suffering, reduced family devastation, along health costs in the future. Since 2008, medical experts in Bangladesh have advocated the critical importance of wide vaccination, and over the last months that dream has been realised.

The second critical prevention step, including for those who have not been vaccinated, is to ensure that all women undertake regular screening - as early detection identifies when the virus is causing cancer cells to develop and ensures immediate treatment is provided.

"With thanks to this campaign, led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the EPI Program of the Directorate General of Health Services, a remarkable milestone of vaccinating 93 percent of girls has been achieved", said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. 

"The success of the outreach campaign speaks to the power of working hand-in-hand with different Ministries; it speaks to the passion and drive of the doctors who have been supporting a roll-out of the vaccine; and to the value of genuinely engaging and working with communities, religious leaders and parents to ensure that this generation of young women is better protected than ever before from cervical cancer. As the vaccine is adopted into the routine immunization programme from next year, the goal of eradicating preventable cervical cancer takes an important step forward," added Rana Flowers.   

To support a successful campaign, Gavi co-financed the cost of the vaccines, supplies, and operational logistics alongside the Interim Government. UNICEF delivered the vaccines and worked together with WHO and the Interim Government of Bangladesh as well as stakeholders at the national and local levels to ensure wide coverage, supporting the overall planning, monitoring, and execution of the HPV campaign. The consistent monitoring and analysis of progress by district and upazila, every day, enabled DGHS to focus support on the low-performing areas and provide additional technical support and attention where it was most needed.

"The success of the HPV vaccination campaign serves as a powerful testament to the strength of collaboration, with national and subnational ministries, community leaders, and volunteers uniting to drive this effort. Despite initial challenges related to rumors and vaccine hesitancy, timely actions to rebuild trust enabled us to achieve an impressive 93% coverage. 

Our development partners, including the WHO IVD network, played a crucial role by providing technical expertise, operational support, and real-time monitoring. This milestone represents more than just an EPI intervention; it is a unified commitment to safeguarding future generations from preventable diseases such as cervical cancer," said Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative a.i. in Bangladesh.

Several other factors contributed to a successful campaign, including the strong engagement at subnational levels across the Ministries, line departments, community, and religious leaders; the active involvement of the volunteers and youth organisations; and a consistent supply of free vaccines.

"By reaching 5.6 million adolescent girls with the HPV vaccine, including those in marginalised and underserved communities, we are not only protecting lives, we are also taking a step toward empowering a generation to thrive, said Sam Muller, Head of Euro Asia-Pacific at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance." 

Our heartfelt congratulations to the dedicated health workers and the engaged communities who made this campaign a success."

Support to the campaign included mobilising the media, launching social media campaigns, and social and behavioral change communication and public outreach in the communities to gear up the coverage, counter any vaccine hesitancy, and ensure that no girl is left behind. Crucial engagement of the formal and non-formal education institutions also played a vital role in the success of this campaign. Leveraging this learning, strong efforts will be made to involve and work more closely with formal and non-formal education institutes including the Qawmi Madrashas, Government schools, and English medium schools in the future vaccine drives.