In 2023, Nigeria launched its first nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, reaching over 12.9 million girls, targeting girls aged 9–14 years through a phased rollout and routinization. Despite this progress, challenges such as misinformation, religious concerns, and limited community dialogue persisted. To address these, JSI, through the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI), piloted live radio phone-in programs in Abia and Katsina States. Six 30-minute episodes aired over three months (three episodes in each state) featuring health experts, religious/traditional leaders, and male champions who engaged directly with community members. A total of 44 questions and concerns were raised during the shows and then analyzed using word cloud visualization. Results revealed that Abia communities prioritized vaccine access, availability, and accountability and had concerns about age cohorts, sex-specific eligibility, immunocompromised groups, and side effects. In Katsina, issues centered on cervical cancer screening, gender norms in health care, and questions on access, eligibility, and efficacy. The intervention demonstrated the value of two-way communication in clarifying misconceptions, capturing community perspectives, and strengthening demand-generation strategies for HPV vaccination.
In 2023, Nigeria launched its first nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, reaching over 12.9 million girls, targeting girls aged 9–14 years through a phased rollout and routinization. Despite this progress, challenges such as misinformation, religious concerns, and limited community dialogue persisted. To address these, JSI, through the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI), piloted live radio phone-in programs in Abia and Katsina States. Six 30-minute episodes aired over three months (three episodes in each state) featuring health experts, religious/traditional leaders, and male champions who engaged directly with community members. A total of 44 questions and concerns were raised during the shows and then analyzed using word cloud visualization. Results revealed that Abia communities prioritized vaccine access, availability, and accountability and had concerns about age cohorts, sex-specific eligibility, immunocompromised groups, and side effects. In Katsina, issues centered on cervical cancer screening, gender norms in health care, and questions on access, eligibility, and efficacy. The intervention demonstrated the value of two-way communication in clarifying misconceptions, capturing community perspectives, and strengthening demand-generation strategies for HPV vaccination.
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