Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women globally, with approximately 90% of related deaths occurring in developing countries, including Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. To address this, the government has prioritized cervical cancer prevention by including the HPV vaccine in its immunization program. The initiative began in Gazipur district with GAVI's support in 2016-2017. Following its success, the national vaccination program's first phase launched in Dhaka Division in October-November 2023, reaching 75% of the target population. Building on this, the government plans to expand the campaign to the remaining seven divisions - Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet, and Rangpur from October 24 to November 24, 2024.
The primary focus of the campaign is to vaccinate girls aged 10 to 14 years, particularly those in grades 5 to 9, to protect them from HPV. With a target population of approximately 6.2 million girls across the seven divisions, this campaign marks a crucial step in Bangladesh's ongoing efforts to combat cervical cancer. As the vaccination program is aimed at the local level, community involvement is essential for its success. Local leaders, including religious figures and health workers, plays a critical role in raising awareness, dispelling myths, and encouraging families to participate in the vaccination drive.
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DY WR’s meeting with Divisional Director (Health), Sylhet Division.
Photo Credit: Salma Sultana
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Civil Surgeon of Sylhet greeted DY WR with flowers
Photo Credit: Salma Sultana
As part of the HPV vaccination program, WHO field teams, along with partners, provided technical support to the government and city corporations in planning, implementation, and monitoring. To strengthen advocacy efforts, Deputy Representative Dr. Rajesh Narwal visited Sylhet Division and several districts from November 18 to 20, 2024. He met with senior government officials, including Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman, Divisional Director (Health) of Sylhet, Dr. Manisar Chowdhury, Civil Surgeon of Sylhet, and Dr. Md. Mamunur Rahman, Civil Surgeon of Moulvibazar. Dr. Narwal also visited cold chain facilities, observed immunization sessions, participated in school vaccination activities, and monitored vaccination coverage in tea garden communities.
The Divisional Director (Health) praised WHO's support in successfully implementing the HPV vaccination campaign and stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration. He stated, “WHO’s support has strengthened our ability to tackle both the HPV program and other public health challenges. We look forward to continuing this partnership to protect the health of Sylhet Division.” The discussions also addressed progress, targets, challenges, and solutions for the campaign. Dr. Narwal lauded the leadership of the Divisional Director and Civil Surgeons, emphasizing the need for context-specific strategies. He highlighted the importance of the "whole of government" and "whole of society" approaches for improving public health. Dr. Narwal underscored that the HPV vaccination program, led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is a life-saving initiative that can significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer and protect future generations. "WHO remains committed to supporting the government in safeguarding the health and well-being of the people of Bangladesh. I am confident that, with the continued support of our partners, we will achieve full coverage of the HPV vaccination and champion the health of the nation's future—our daughters," said Dr. Rajesh Narwal, WHO Deputy Representative to Bangladesh.
During his visit, Dr. Narwal met with the WHO Sylhet team, led by Dr. Sufi Muhammad Lutfor, to address regional technical issues. He visited Companiganj, engaging with the Union Health & Family Planning Office and monitoring the HPV vaccination program. Dr. Narwal also visited Moulvibazar district, where he met with the Civil Surgeon and, along with the Divisional Director of Sylhet, inspected the cold chain room at the UHC.
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Dr Rajesh monitored the vaccination session in the tea garden.
Photo Credit: Salma Sultana
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Dr Rajesh checked the vaccination card of the schoolgirl.
Photo Credit: Salma Sultana
A significant part of this field mission involved visiting schools and local communities, where Dr. Narwal engaged with girls to discuss the HPV vaccination. He inquired whether any girls were missing the vaccine and explored the reasons behind their decision not to receive it. During his visit to the Ita Tea Garden community, Dr. Narwal identified an NGO-run school with 20 eligible girls who had not yet been vaccinated. A vaccination session was promptly organized, with Dr. Rajesh and the WHO team overseeing the vaccination activities to ensure that all the missed girls were vaccinated. Throughout the process, both during and after the vaccinations, Dr. Narwal engaged with the community, the girls, and their parents, discussing the benefits of the HPV vaccine. However, he noted that rumors and early media coverage of minor adverse events may have negatively impacted vaccination uptake. He also suggested that the campaign could benefit from more collaborative efforts in social mobilization and community engagement.
To ensure a successful HPV vaccination campaign, WHO, in collaboration with the government of Bangladesh, trained over 40,000 health workers in 1,200 sessions to administer the vaccine, and an additional 14,500 healthcare workers in 475 sessions to manage adverse events. WHO also facilitated advocacy and coordination meetings with government agencies, NGOs, and partners. Supported by GAVI, the government, WHO, UNICEF, and other stakeholders worked together to ensure the smooth rollout, implementation, and monitoring evaluation of the program.
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Students from this school received the vaccine during the vaccination event held in the ITA team garden.
Photo Credit: Salma Sultana
This collaboration is safeguarding women’s health in Bangladesh and contributing to a cervical cancer-free future.
For more information on this publication, please contact
Salma Sultana
National Professional Officer
Media & Communication
WHO Bangladesh at ssultana@who.int