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Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Delivery of HPV Vaccination...
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Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Delivery of HPV Vaccination in LMICs

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Papillomavirus Vaccines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1862

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sohail Agha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Interests: behavior models; immunization; behavioral science; social and behavior change (SBC); social media interventions; social marketing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue (SI) of Vaccines will focus on strategies to increase the uptake and delivery of HPV vaccinations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It will address both the challenges of introducing the vaccine and the more complex task of integrating vaccination into routine health services. Contributions are encouraged that highlight innovative approaches to scaling up vaccination, discuss cost considerations, and explore sustainability while also addressing the factors that drive adoption and long-term integration.

Several studies have demonstrated the success of national programs in introducing HPV vaccination through donor support, school-based delivery, and community mobilization. However, maintaining coverage requires different strategies, particularly those that address caregiver behavior. A recurring issue is the difficulty caregivers encounter when bringing adolescents to primary health centers, which differs from the usual child-focused care-seeking practices. Understanding and addressing the barriers caregivers face, along with the social changes needed to normalize adolescent vaccination, emerge as critical priorities for policy and research.

The SI will also examine the emerging use of various platforms for raising vaccine awareness and provide evidence-informed pathways to introduce the HPV vaccine, aiming to achieve a sustained public health impact. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sohail Agha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • HPV vaccination
  • low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
  • vaccination strategies
  • vaccination uptake 
  • behavior
  • cost-effectiveness
  • health promotion

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 868 KB  
Article
HPV Vaccination Uptake and Acceptability of HPV/HIV Integrated Services Models for Adolescent Girls in Mozambique and Zimbabwe: The AIM-HPV Implementation Research Study
by Michelle M. Gill, Assucênio Chissaque, Edna Viegas, Lillian Chinyanganya, Hilda Bara, Lauren Greenberg, Nontokozo Gava, Mahira Amade, Bridget Kanengoni, Angela Mushavi, Leonildo Augusto Nhampossa, Aleny Couto, Neiva Banze, Humberto Inguane, Epifânia Orlando Raimundo, Patricia Pérez Martin, Laura Guay and Rhoderick Machekano
Vaccines 2026, 14(6), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14060503 - 3 Jun 2026
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Girls living with HIV (GLHIV) or vulnerable to HIV have a higher risk of HPV infection and cervical cancer as they age. We determined acceptability and vaccination uptake after integrating HPV vaccination into HIV prevention and treatment services for girls in Mozambique [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Girls living with HIV (GLHIV) or vulnerable to HIV have a higher risk of HPV infection and cervical cancer as they age. We determined acceptability and vaccination uptake after integrating HPV vaccination into HIV prevention and treatment services for girls in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Methods: Pre-integration and integration HPV vaccination information were abstracted from routine records of girls aged 9–14 years offered HPV vaccine through HIV services in 54 health facilities (HFs) and surrounding communities between February and December 2025. Caregivers participated in quantitative surveys about vaccine perceptions and integration model experiences in a subset of 16 HFs. Results: In total, 6377 records of girls (median age: 11 years) were abstracted. Among the vaccine recipients, 63 (3.0%) girls received vaccine pre-integration and 2019 (97.0%) post-integration in Mozambique and 743 (17.3%) pre-integration and 3541 (82.7%) post-integration in Zimbabwe. Among GLHIV, 95.8% and 69.6% received a first HPV vaccine in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, respectively. Full vaccination with two doses occurred in 49.1% of eligible girls in Mozambique and 73.9% in Zimbabwe. Overall, 461 (67.8%) caregivers had heard of the HPV vaccine and 85.9% of cervical cancer, 99.6% were satisfied with vaccination in integration settings, and 78.6% preferred facility-based vaccination models. Conclusions: We demonstrated that HPV/HIV service integration was an effective strategy to increase HPV vaccine uptake among young girls at increased risk of HPV and cervical cancer. We found high vaccine and model acceptability and awareness of cervical cancer among caregivers. Optimization of this approach requires better integrated tools and model adaptations to fit the needs of girls and health systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Delivery of HPV Vaccination in LMICs)
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Review

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16 pages, 1116 KB  
Review
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HPV Vaccination in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review
by Joyce Omondi, Robert Ambogo, Candy Ochieng, Marwa Farag and George Mutwiri
Vaccines 2026, 14(5), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14050432 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 729
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in HPV vaccination and may have severely undermined global cervical cancer prevention, posing long-term risks to controlling cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. Objective: We conducted a scoping review to map and synthesize available evidence on how [...] Read more.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in HPV vaccination and may have severely undermined global cervical cancer prevention, posing long-term risks to controlling cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. Objective: We conducted a scoping review to map and synthesize available evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) focusing on changes in vaccine delivery and coverage, determinants of uptake, economic and programmatic consequences and vaccine hesitancy. Methods: Inclusion criteria were limited to studies published in the English language between January 2020 to May 2025, and followed JBI and Arksey & O’Malley’s scoping review guidelines. The review proceeded through three stages: database searches, gray literature and citation tracking and used a PRISMA-ScR checklist to guide narrative and tabular synthesis. Results: A total of 1063 records, 57 studies were included in the final analysis, and these were spread out across 37 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our analysis revealed that HPV vaccination coverage declined substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with reductions of up to 90% reported across the included studies, in the context of school closures, workforce redeployment, and supply-chain disruptions. Recovery efforts also faced major barriers including vaccine hesitancy, misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, and travel restrictions. Strategies like digital tools, mobile clinics, and community health workers showed promise alongside integrated school- and facility-based approaches, although there is limited evidence on cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability of these strategies. Conclusions: HPV vaccination in LMICs was significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to unreliable vaccine supply chains, health-worker shortages, and challenges tied to school-based vaccine delivery. Although recovery methods show potential, longer observation periods are needed to determine their full effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Increase the Uptake and Delivery of HPV Vaccination in LMICs)
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