Measuring the success of SA’s HPV jab drive - a decade later
A decade after South Africa launched its HPV vaccination program for schoolgirls, new research confirms an 83% reduction in high-risk HPV infections. The study highlights the program's success in a region with high HIV prevalence, where cervical cancer remains a significant health threat.
Why it matters
This data provides critical evidence for the efficacy of public health vaccination campaigns in reducing cancer rates in low- and middle-income countries.
South Africa introduced the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) in public schools in 2014, offering the jab to grade 4 girls aged nine and older. Uptake was high from the start, with about 87% of eligible pupils receiving at least one dose during the first year. A decade later, statistics showing the drop in HPV infection rates prove the success of the initiative, observe Dorothy Nyemba-Machemedze and Sinead Delany-Moretlwe for The Conversation .
Almost all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with HPV. Most of these infections clear naturally, but some high-risk types can persist and can eventually lead to cervical cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 alone are responsible for around 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide.
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