Integrating HPV vaccine service delivery with adolescent health programmes - Experiences and perspectives from selected countries in Africa.

Primary prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is particularly important in Africa, where there is a high and accelerating burden of cervical cancer. Stakeholders have increasingly called for integration of other services with HPV vaccination in low- and middle-income countries, yet successful and sustainable integration requires intensive resource inputs, and few countries in Africa have tested integrated approaches. We describe co-author experience and previously published assessments to present the experiences of four African countries, Senegal, Togo, Tanzania, and Lesotho, with integrating HPV vaccine services with other programmes and services.

Acceptability of an integrated school-based HPV vaccination program within two districts of Tanzania: A qualitative descriptive study.

Tanzania has one of the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. The Tanzanian Ministry of Health developed an integrated adolescent health program, HPV-Plus, that combines HPV vaccination with additional health services: nutritional assessments, vision screening, and vaccination for adolescent girls, and education for all genders. This qualitative descriptive study evaluated the acceptability of the HPV-Plus program in two districts in Tanzania.

Feasibility and sustainability of a school-based platform for integrated delivery of HPV vaccination with adolescent health services in Tanzania: qualitative insights from stakeholders.

To meet lofty human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization goals in Tanzania, the Ministry of Health integrated HPV vaccination with adolescent health services using a school-based approach. A qualitative study was conducted in June-July 2021, examining the feasibility and sustainability of an integrated service package, HPV Plus. In-depth interviews with 46 programme implementers (i.

Integration of other services with human papillomavirus vaccination; lessons from earlier in the life course highlight the need for new policy and implementation evidence.

Integration of vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) with other essential health services for adolescents has been proposed in global strategies and tested in demonstration projects in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Published experiences, global guidance, and one key example, the implementation of "HPV Plus" in Tanzania, all demonstrate the need for greater operational evidence to guide future implementation and policy. Review of experiences earlier in the life course, integrating post-partum family planning with infant immunization, show lessons from 13 LMICs that can apply to provision of adolescent health information and services alongside HPV vaccination.

National introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Tanzania: Programmatic decision-making and implementation.

Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer among women in Tanzania, with approximately 10,000 new cases and 7,000 deaths annually. In April 2018, the Government of Tanzania introduced 2 doses of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine nationally to adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer, following a successful 2-year pilot introduction of the vaccine in the Kilimanjaro Region.

Methods: We interviewed key informants at the national level in Tanzania from February to November 2019, using a semi-structured tool to better understand national decision-making and program implementation.

Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Training Strategy Among Health Care Workers Screening for Cervical Cancer in Northern Tanzania: The Kilimanjaro Method.

Purpose: Almost nine of 10 deaths resulting from cervical cancer occur in low-income countries. Visual inspection under acetic acid (VIA) is an evidence-based, cost-effective approach to cervical cancer screening (CCS), but challenges to effective implementation include health provider training costs, provider turnover, and skills retention. We hypothesized that a smartphone camera and use of cervical image transfer for real-time mentorship by experts located distantly across a closed user group through a commercially available smartphone application would be both feasible and effective in enhancing VIA skills among CCS providers in Tanzania.

Expanding Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment in Tanzania: Stakeholders' Perceptions of Structural Influences on Scale-Up.

Unlabelled: Tanzania has the highest burden of cervical cancer in East Africa. This study aims to identify perceived barriers and facilitators that influence scale-up of regional and population-level cervical cancer screening and treatment programs in Tanzania. Convenience sampling was used to select participants for this qualitative study among 35 key informants.

Integrating HIV testing into cervical cancer screening in Tanzania: an analysis of routine service delivery statistics.

Background: While the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer (CaCx) and acquiring HIV is high for women in Tanzania, most women have not tested for HIV in the past year and most have never been screened for CaCx. Good management of both diseases, which have a synergistic relationship, requires integrated screening, prevention, and treatment services. The aim of this analysis is to assess the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of integrating HIV testing into CaCx prevention services in Tanzania, so as to inform scale-up strategies.