Landmark HPV vaccination program starts in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (Papua New Guinea) has successfully launched its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for girls aged 9–14 years.  

This is the first provincial-level HPV vaccine program to be launched in Papua New Guinea and marks a landmark step in the fight against cervical cancer in a country that has among the highest burdens of the disease globally. 

The program is part of the Eliminating Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific (ECCWP) project, a partnership between Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, the Kirby Institute (UNSW), the Daffodil Centre, the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer and Family Planning Australia.  

The ARIA-Regional Immunisation Support and Engagement (ARIA-RISE) project has also provided critical support, facilitating deployment of a technical expert to assist with planning and implementation of the introduction of the one-dose HPV vaccination schedule for girls in Western Highlands Province.

This technical assistance has contributed to improved logistical planning; human resource capacity and health promotion; equity of access to vaccinations, with a focus on social inclusion and people with disabilities; and opportunities to integrate the program with other routine immunisations.  

The vaccine consultant has developed and delivered training and information sessions for healthcare workers, teachers, community and religious leaders, women’s groups, parents and schools. Local media has increased awareness and acceptability of the program.

Almost 8,000 age-eligible girls in Hagen Central District, Western Highlands Province have been pre-registered to receive the HPV vaccine. Volunteers have been engaged to ensure out-of-school girls are aware of the program and able to access the vaccine at their local health centre or a participating school.  

HPV Vaccine Data Entry Clerk Regina Jim displaying health promotion materials 

‘The HPV vaccine rollout in Western Highlands Province shows promising engagement from the community, with many young girls and their families understanding the importance of the HPV vaccination in preventing cervical cancer,’ said Dr Paulus Ripa, Director of Curative Services, Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority and ECCWP Project Lead. ‘Our collaboration with local health officials and school communities is crucial to the project’s success, and we are committed to expanding this initiative to reach even more girls and women across Western Highlands Province.’  

More than 440 girls received the HPV vaccine in the first week of the program. On the day the program was rolled out, 26 girls from Waipeng Elementary School walked 20 minutes with their teachers to nearby Mugand Primary School to ensure they could access the vaccine as soon as possible. Representatives from Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority and local media were present to mark the momentous occasion.

‘Treatment for cervical cancer is expensive and limited in our country, and we are privileged that the HPV vaccine is now available,’ Mugand Primary School Head Teacher Mr William Kikia said. ‘I am so excited that our school is the first in Western Highlands to support the rollout of the lifesaving HPV vaccine.’

The HPV vaccine will continue to roll out in schools and health centres across Western Highlands Province throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025, with a target of reaching 90% (30,000) of girls aged 9–14 years.  

The commitment of local communities, schools and health officials remains essential in moving towards a future where cervical cancer is no longer a threat to women in the Western Pacific.

For more information, contact Vanessa Price.

About Eliminating Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific ECCWP

ECCWP is a partnership between the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority in collaboration with C4 partners: the Daffodil Centre (a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney), the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney, the Australian Centre for Cervical Cancer Prevention and Family Planning NSW. It is backed by an AU$8 million investment from Minderoo Foundation's Collaborate Against Cancer initiative, which includes AU$1.6 million to support activities in Western Highlands Province in addition to donations of vaccines, equipment and consumables. It is a world-first initiative to advance the World Health Organization global cervical cancer elimination strategy at the population level in our region by scaling up robust tools, strategies and approaches that have proven to be highly effective, acceptable to women and cost-effective in the primary prevention, detection and treatment of cervical pre-cancer and cancer. Over 30,000 women have been screened in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu to date (June 2022–present), and the target is to screen 60,000 women or 70% of each age-eligible population by December 2025.