More African nations focus on HPV vaccination against cervical cancer, but hesitancy remains

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — African countries have some of the world’s highest rates of cervical cancer. Growing efforts to vaccinate more young girls for the human papillomavirus are challenged by the kind of vaccine hesitancy seen for some other diseases. Misinformation can include mistaken rumors that girls won’t be able to have children in the future. Some religious communities must be told that the vaccine is “not ungodly.” More than half of Africa’s 54 nations have introduced the vaccine in their immunization programs, but only five have reached the 90% coverage that the continent hopes to achieve by 2030.