Beyond the Campaign: Ensuring Every Girl in Nigeria is Protected from Cervical Cancer

A student proudly displays her HPV vaccination card. Credit: Richard Adupong

One day, in Nigeria’s Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Abdulahi, a butcher and father of two young girls, made an unexpected stop at a vaccination post. He had heard people in the marketplace giving various accounts about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, but Abdulahi wanted the truth. When he spoke with the health care staff, his questions revealed more than a search for knowledge—they uncovered the deep scars of personal loss.

The health workers took their time, explaining the vaccine’s benefits with patience and empathy. While they talked, Abdulahi’s mind drifted to the painful memory of losing his wife to breast cancer. The illness had drained his family emotionally and financially, and left Abdulahi as the sole caregiver of their daughters. The weight of raising them alone was heavy, and he wished he had known more about cancer prevention earlier.

Abdulahi listened intently as the health workers described the HPV vaccine’s role in preventing cervical cancer. Then, without hesitation, he rushed home and brought his daughters back to the post for the HPV vaccine.

“I am grateful this vaccine is free,” Abdulahi said, his voice filled with relief. “If there’s anything I can do to protect my daughters from what their mother went through, I will do it.”

Abdulahi’s story is just one of many that underscore the importance of reaching families with accurate information. Across Adamawa, Abia, Plateau, and Katsina states in Nigeria, many girls missed the initial multi-age cohort (MAC) vaccination campaign, some due to travel, illness, or family obligations and others because of parental hesitancy fueled by misinformation.

To bridge this gap, JSI, through the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI)—funded by the Gates Foundation and implemented in Nigeria by JSI and CHAI in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency—led targeted follow-up strategies to ensure every eligible girl received the HPV vaccine. During the post-MAC campaign, health care workers used a mix of strategies to reach those left behind. Fixed post services at health facilities provided a reliable vaccination point where parents like Abdulahi could bring their daughters for immunization.

Mobile teams used targeted outreach services to reach unvaccinated girls in remote communities and at familiar locations like playgrounds, homes of village leaders, churches, mosques, and market squares to ensure that distance and accessibility were not barriers. School-based vaccination efforts identified and vaccinated girls who had missed the initial campaign or had recently turned nine, making schools a critical platform for expanding coverage.

But increasing access alone wasn’t enough—misinformation remained a major obstacle. In some areas, parents refused vaccination for their daughters because they didn’t fully understand its benefits. To address this, trusted local leaders took the lead in raising awareness. They helped organize town hall meetings, school assemblies, road shows, and door-to-door visits to provide families with accurate information, dispelling fears and misconceptions.

In Katsina and Abia, intensified school-based vaccination efforts helped close the coverage gap. In Plateau, health officials analyzed data to pinpoint areas with low coverage, prompting targeted outreach and expanded in-school vaccination drives to reach more eligible girls. Across all four states, the Expanded Programme on Immunization team adopted a Reach Every District/Ward approach, taking vaccines directly to missed communities and remote areas.

By the end of the post-MAC campaign, more than 18,800 girls across the four states had been vaccinated—a testament to community-led efforts and the unwavering dedication to leave no girl behind. Strengthening community engagement, dispelling myths, and improving access ensured that more girls gained lifesaving protection against cervical cancer.

As these efforts continue, HAPPI remains steadfast in its commitment, working alongside government agencies, health care providers, and communities to expand HPV vaccine coverage. And for Abdulahi, vaccinating his daughters was not just a decision he made for today—it was a decision to give them every chance for a healthy future.