Lodwar – December 1, 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The County Executive for Health and Sanitation, Dr Epem Joseph Esekon, hosted a research team from Jhpiego led by Sabbina Githinji, the Technical Officer for the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI). The team paid a courtesy call to discuss the completion of an ongoing research study in Turkana.
The study, titled “ _Resilient HPV Vaccine Delivery in Kenya – Generating Evidence to Inform Systems Strengthening and Continuity of Operations,”_ set out to assess the resilience of HPV vaccine delivery in Kenya.
According to WHO, 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 Organization (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 immunization. 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 not only assess the functionality and resilience of HPV vaccine delivery systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings, but also seeks to identify adaptive strategies that can sustain vaccination coverage and generate actionable insights to strengthen program design and normalize HPV vaccination in Kenya.
In Turkana, data was collected at Amusait Sub-County Hospital, Natukobenyo Health Centre, Kanamkemer Sub-County Hospital, and Lokichar Sub-County Hospital.
Some of the 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, three other counties—Nairobi’s urban informal settlements in Kibera and Mathare, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet—were included in the study. Turkana qualified due to its large refugee population, cross-border insecurity, resource scarcity, harsh climatic conditions, and low HPV vaccination coverage.
The CEC 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. “While the school-based program performs well, follow-up doses remain a challenge,” She also highlighted 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.
“We look forward to the advanced report. I urge you, the healthcare force to begin with yourselves as advocates by taking your daughters for vaccination. You also need to communicate within your communities the importance of this vaccine,” he said.
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.
