Amidst Nigeria’s records of over 8,000 cervical cancer deaths annually, representing the highest toll in Africa and the seventh highest worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), experts are urging the country to include boys in its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to halt the disease’s spread.
The experts called for the inclusion of boys and mid-adult women in immunisation plans, explaining that boys are carriers of HPV and vaccinating them breaks the chain of transmission, creating gender-neutral protection.
Leading the call, the Managing Director of MSD for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Zweli Bashman, while speaking in Abuja, at the African Health Business symposium shared his personal experience.
“I’ve personally taken the vaccine,” he stated, citing Cameroon’s success in improving coverage rates by adopting a gender-neutral programme.
Bashman commended Nigeria’s rapid HPV vaccine rollout since its national launch in 2023. Over 14 million girls have been vaccinated in under two years, making Nigeria the largest contributor to HPV vaccine uptake on the continent.
“That is nothing short of phenomenal,” he said. “But vaccinating girls alone is not enough to eliminate cervical cancer.”
Addressing persistent public concerns, Bashman dismissed rumours that the HPV vaccine causes infertility as baseless. “These vaccines have undergone extensive global trials and have been cleared by Nigeria’s NAFDAC. The rumours about infertility are false and have no scientific basis,” he stressed.
Beyond HPV, MSD plans to launch an immuno-oncology therapy in Nigeria later this year, pending regulatory approval. The drug treats around 27 cancer types, including triple-negative breast cancer, which accounts for up to 60 per cent of breast cancer cases in Nigeria and currently has limited treatment options.
Bashman noted that regulatory reforms such as the African Medicines Agency (AMA) are accelerating access to life-saving therapies, enabling MSD to secure multi-country approvals via a single submission.
He urged African governments to follow Botswana’s example in partnering with the private sector to provide nationwide access to oncology drugs. “Don’t assume you can’t afford it. Initiate a conversation first,” he said.
MSD is also expanding its clinical trials across Africa, with ongoing studies in Kenya and Uganda and plans to extend to Nigeria and Ghana. “Africa is one of the most genetically diverse populations. Testing medicines here ensures we’re addressing real-world needs,” he explained.
Looking ahead, the company is preparing for the African rollout of its newly approved RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine, targeting one of the leading causes of infant mortality on the continent.
Bashman called for a united approach to eliminating cervical cancer. “We need an all-of-society approach. Governments, the private sector, and civil society must work together to ensure we leave no one behind,” he said.
