Kenya’s fight against Cervical Cancer reached a pivotal milestone as national and county leaders, senior health officials, civil society organizations, and development partners signed a Joint Commitment to Accelerate HPV Vaccination in Kenya. The landmark pledge was made during the HPV Vaccination Leadership Engagement forum held at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi, on June 10^th.

The event, jointly convened by KILELE Health Association, Africa Cancer Foundation, Women for Cancer Early Detection and Treatment, and the American Cancer Society (ACS) aimed to align Kenya’s national and county-level efforts with the Ministry of Health’s ambitious 2030 target: achieving 90% HPV vaccine coverage among girls aged 9 to 14, as stipulated in Kenya’s National Cancer Control Strategy and the global Big Catch-Up Campaign.

Over the past year, the three leading CSOs collaborated with the American Cancer Society’s Global HPV Cancer Free Program to support selected health facilities in Kajiado, Marsabit, Kisumu, and Vihiga counties, advancing HPV vaccination through community education, stigma reduction, and strengthened service delivery.

The forum served as both a reflection on progress on the project and an open dialogue for addressing persistent barriers, while co-creating sustainable, scalable solutions to boost nationwide vaccination rates particularly in underserved populations.

Key Objectives of the Leadership Engagement:

1. Align stakeholder strategies to complement the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP)’s Big Catch-Up Campaign and Kenya’s National Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan (NCCEAP).
2. Discuss the successes and challenges of county-level civil society engagements.
3. Explore integration of best practices into a national roll-out strategy, including:
   • County-level target setting and performance monitoring,
   • Training and refresher courses for Community Health Promoters (CHPs),
   • Tailored community mobilization, especially for hard-to-reach populations,
   • Integration with Kenya’s single-dose HPV vaccine policy rollout,
   • Coordinated action planning among all stakeholders.

“This collaborative initiative demonstrates the power of partnerships in translating research into real-world impact. By bridging global evidence with local action, ACS sought to empower the three organizations to not only apply proven HPV vaccination strategies but to adapt them to Kenya’s unique county-level realities,” said Meenu Anand, Director of Global Cancer Prevention and Screening at the American Cancer Society.

Supporting the call for grassroots-led change, Dr. Anu Agrawal, Vice President ACS, emphasized that sustainable transformation happens where communities live, leaders govern, and health systems operate. “Our collective commitment guarantees that no girl, regardless of her background, is left behind in the mission to eliminate cervical cancer,” he added.

At the county level, progress and persistent challenges were openly discussed.

“Community sensitization remains our strongest tool. When we engaged mothers through church groups and local champions, acceptance of the HPV vaccine improved dramatically.” noted Dr. Lydia Munteyiani, County Director of Health, Kajiado County.

Echoing this, Christine Miano of NVIP remarked:

“Our aim is to ensure this is not a one-off campaign. Movement-building requires continuous advocacy, sustained resources, and political will. HPV vaccination must be embedded across policies and practice if we are to succeed.”

A Joint Commitment with Actionable Priorities:

Some of the clear deliverables in the Joint Commitment include:

• Support for the Ministry of Health’s HPV vaccination targets,
• Strengthening training and capacity of Community Health Promoters (CHPs),
• Mobilization of financial and technical resources,
• Promotion of equitable access across all Kenyan counties,
• Active county government involvement in vaccination performance monitoring.

“Reaching 90% coverage is ambitious but achievable,” affirmed Dr. JP Bor, Head of Kenya’s National Cancer Control Program. “With strong political backing and community partnerships, we can consign Cervical Cancer to history.”

“This commitment signals that the fight against Cervical Cancer is not only a priority but a shared responsibility,” said Dr. Dorothy Nyong’o, First Lady Kisumu County and Managing Trustee Africa Cancer Foundaion. “The time for fragmented action is over; we must build a unified front to protect our daughters and future generations.”

A Call to Collective Action

Participants signed personal and institutional pledges to reinforce their commitment to cervical cancer prevention.

“This is no longer just the government’s responsibility or civil society’s mission—it is Kenya’s collective agenda,” concluded Ms. Benda Kithaka, Executive Director KILELE Health Association. “Every girl in this country deserves a future free from Cervical Cancer.”

Download the Event Program Here.