Sierra Leone exceeds HPV vaccine goal to protect 1M adolescent girls

SIERRA LEONE—Sierra Leone has achieved a significant public health victory by vaccinating over one million adolescent girls against human papillomavirus, exceeding its initial target of approximately 868,300 girls.

The government-led campaign, which unfolded over a single week in November 2025, reached 116% coverage and marks a crucial step toward eliminating cervical cancer as a major health threat in the country.

A broader approach to immunity

The success comes from an innovative multi-age cohort strategy that expanded vaccination eligibility to girls aged 11 to 18 years, rather than targeting a single age group.

This approach rapidly builds population immunity while closing gaps that may have existed in previous vaccination efforts.

The World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Gavi supported the initiative with technical expertise and resources, ensuring quality implementation across all districts.

The campaign officially launched at St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School in Freetown, coinciding with the inaugural global observance of World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.

Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby emphasized the shared responsibility, urging families and communities to unite in protecting the women and girls within their reach.

Reaching the Most Vulnerable

A remarkable feature of the vaccination drive lies in its equity focus.

Among those vaccinated, 66% attended school while 34% remained out of school, demonstrating deliberate efforts to reach marginalized populations.

Furthermore, 64% of schoolgirls and 53% of out-of-school girls received their first HPV dose, underscoring the campaign’s success in reaching previously unreached populations.

For many young women, the vaccine represents more than disease prevention.

Grace Lamin, a student from the launch school, encapsulates this sentiment: “Taking the HPV vaccine makes me feel protected and hopeful. I want to grow up healthy, finish my education, and become someone who helps my family and my country.”

Building on past efforts

This achievement builds upon Sierra Leone’s earlier vaccination initiatives that began in 2022, when HPV vaccination entered the routine immunization schedule.

The government had piloted the vaccine in Bo District as far back as 2013, though the 2014 Ebola outbreak and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic delayed nationwide expansion for years.

Cervical cancer remains the deadliest malignancy affecting women in Sierra Leone and the second most common cancer among those aged 15 to 49, causing over 500 new cases and approximately 370 deaths annually.

Safety monitoring during the campaign proved robust, with 514 adverse events reported and only two classified as serious—all managed promptly and professionally.

The achievement positions Sierra Leone on track to meet three critical global targets by 2030: vaccinating 90% of girls fully by age 15, screening 70% of women using high-performance tests at ages 35 and 45, and ensuring 90% of women with cervical disease receive treatment.

With vaccination coverage now surpassing 70%, the nation demonstrates steady progress toward the internationally recognized cervical cancer elimination benchmarks.