Nairobi: Turkana County Executive Committee Member for Health and Sanitation, Dr. Epem Joseph Esekon, hosted a research team from Jhpiego, led by Sabina Githinji, the Technical Officer for the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Programme Partners Initiative (HAPPI). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the completion of an ongoing research study in Turkana titled 'Resilient HPV Vaccine Delivery in Kenya, Generating Evidence to Inform Systems Strengthening and Continuity of Operations,' which aims to assess the resilience of HPV vaccine delivery in Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in low- and middle-income countries, with more than 85 percent of cases occurring in these regions. Persistent infection with high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is a proven preventive measure, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a global target of 90 percent HPV vaccination coverage among girls of age 15 by the year 2030.
Kenya introduced the HPV vaccine nationally in 2019, targeting 10-year-old girls through school-based and facility-based immunisation. Despite strong political commitment, coverage remains sub-optimal, particularly in fragile settings such as Turkana County. The study, carried out in collaboration with the county government, aims to assess the functionality and resilience of HPV vaccine delivery systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings, while also identifying adaptive strategies to sustain vaccination coverage and generate actionable insights to strengthen program design and normalise HPV vaccination in Kenya.
In Turkana, data was collected at several health facilities, including Amusait Sub-County Hospital, Natukobenyo Health Centre, Kanamkemer Sub-County Hospital, and Lokichar Sub-County Hospital. Major barriers identified include misinformation and hesitancy driven by fears of infertility and stigma, logistical challenges in reaching out-of-school girls and maintaining cold-chain systems, socio-cultural barriers such as gender norms, and broader systemic weaknesses.
Besides Turkana, the study also included Nairobi's urban informal settlements in Kibera and Mathare, as well as Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Turkana was included due to its large refugee population, cross-border insecurity, resource scarcity, harsh climatic conditions, and low HPV vaccination coverage.
The CECM encouraged the team to take advantage of the holiday period, when many young girls are at home, to scale up vaccination efforts. He urged the integration of screening and vaccination strategies to improve overall uptake. According to Githinji, the greatest gap lies in low demand creation, especially for the second or follow-up doses. She noted that while the school-based programme performs well, follow-up doses remain a challenge, highlighting data gaps at the facility level and the need for stronger information sharing to guide parents and guardians on where to access vaccination services.
Dr. Epem expressed his anticipation for the final findings, expected within two to three months, noting that the results will guide the county's healthcare team in addressing existing gaps. He emphasized the importance of healthcare professionals becoming advocates by taking their daughters for vaccination and communicating within their communities the importance of the vaccine.
The meeting was attended by members of the County Health Management Team from various directorates, who raised questions about the study and highlighted key policy gaps. Githinji was accompanied by her colleagues Michael Waithaka and Carolyne Ajema.