HPV Cervical Cancer Research

Assessing Cultural Barriers to Vaccination for Women’s Cancer Prevention in Nigeria

RISE Clinic and Dr. Nicole Yvonne Nguyen, from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the U.S., has been working together to conduct a study aimed at investigating the barriers of widespread access to and use of, HPV vaccinations, a preventative measure for cervical cancer in Nigeria.  

With a population of more than 40 million women age 15 years and older, cervical cancer is ranked as the second most frequent cancer among women in Nigeria. The World Health Organization’s Information Centre on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer estimates that every year 14,550 women in Nigeria are diagnosed with cervical cancer and that 9,649 die annually from the disease. Cervical cancer is recognized by the Nigerian community as a health concern, as shown by the implementation of the 2011 national strategy to reduce the mortality associated with cervical cancer.  Primary prevention of cervical cancer is achievable through widespread education, annual pap smears, and vaccination.

This research led by Dr. Nicole Nguyen, directly investigates barriers of widespread access to and use of, HPV cervical cancer-preventative vaccinations in Nigeria, targeting community health workers’ perceptions. The goal is to identify culturally appropriate interventions for education of local healthcare workers and professionals that will work within the existing local infrastructure to support the urgent need for a vaccination program in the area.

Research Project Goals:

  • Create interventions aimed at decreasing the barriers identified and ultimately improve use of HPV vaccine in this population.

  • Develop educational interventions for health professionals and general public

  • Collaborate with programs like GAVI for access to vaccine, currently 8 countries are approved for HPV support

  • Research evidence based strategies for vaccine introduction for wide spread availability

  • Future collaborative work with the RISE Clinic Nigeria are available for trainees and professionals

The analyzed data has been presented by Dr. Nguyen at the 2013 Western States Conference for pharmacy professionals and at an international conference held in Dublin, Ireland by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).