Kazakhstan’s government plans to incorporate the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the national immunization schedule by fall 2024. Recognizing its crucial role in reducing cervical cancer cases and saving lives, it will also develop community engagement strategies to ensure a high uptake of the vaccine. Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in Kazakhstan; an estimated 1700 women in the country are diagnosed with the disease annually, with more than 800 women dying from it.
“Following WHO recommendations, we are planning a 2-dose vaccination schedule for 11-year-old girls in Kazakhstan. The plan for the introduction of the HPV vaccine includes updating government regulations, appointing coordinators for the implementation of the vaccine in each region, assessing the status of the vaccine cold chain management and practices, and adequately training and preparing health workers,” says Dr Nurshay Azimbayeva, Head of the Department for the Control of Vaccine-Preventable Infections at the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of the Ministry of Health.
HPV vaccine introduction and awareness raising
In November 2023, the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana, hosted an international conference “Stop HPV!” as part of the global Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action. The collaborative effort was supported by the European Union and involved the Ministry of Health, the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan and Nazarbayev University School of Medicine. The event focused on broadening access to HPV vaccination globally and promoting effective communication and community engagement in cervical cancer screening and treatment.
Aigul Bolatkyzy, a cervical cancer survivor, highlighted the importance of vaccination and the cultural reluctance to discuss this disease, emphasizing the need for openness. “We should not shy away from discussing this disease, yet the topic is often considered taboo. Women tend to conceal their diagnosis and family members only discover it in the advanced stages when it’s too late,” she says.
During the conference, Dr Skender Syla, WHO Representative in Kazakhstan, outlined the known global and regional challenges to attaining high HPV vaccination coverage. He stressed the urgent need for improved communication, collaboration and depoliticization of science to combat misinformation and enhance vaccine uptake.
Youth in action
To ensure high vaccine uptake in Kazakhstan, efforts are underway to raise awareness and communicate the benefits of the HPV and other vaccines, including mobilization of youth activists across the country.
During 2023, the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan identified 53 young immunization activists from various regions of the country dedicated to raising awareness about immunization through the promotion of reliable information on social networks. One of these activists is Alken Auelova, a young immunologist from Astana, who attended a youth forum on immunization organized by WHO on 8 December 2023.
“The wide-spread administration of the HPV vaccine is crucial in the battle against one of the most prevalent cancers in Kazakhstan. We must eliminate this disease and embrace the use of the HPV vaccine,” stated Alken Auelova.