South Africa’s HPV vaccination programme has cut infections of the most dangerous virus types by more than 80% in teenage girls, marking a major step toward preventing cervical cancer in a high-risk population.
“These findings underscore the substantial population-level benefits of high-coverage routine HPV vaccination in a high-HIV-burden setting,” said Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Director at Wits RHI, University of the Witwatersrand.
The long-running programme, launched in 2014 and reaching over 80% of schoolgirls, reduced HPV types 16 and 18 — the strains responsible for most cervical cancers — by 83% among vaccinated groups, with similarly strong protection seen in girls living with HIV. Researchers also observed early signs of indirect protection beyond those among the vaccinated, suggesting broader community benefits. With cervical cancer one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa, experts say sustained vaccination coverage could dramatically lower future mortality rates and shift the region’s long-term public health outlook.
