Scaling up human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is fundamental to South Africa's cervical cancer elimination agenda, particularly in the context of the world's largest HIV epidemic. School-based HPV vaccination represented a major policy achievement; however, sustained programme confidence requires real-world evidence that vaccination reduces oncogenic HPV prevalence across heterogeneous immune profiles and health-system contexts. Updated data on HPV prevalence among young women, stratified by HIV status, are therefore essential for tracking progress towards elimination.
The Lancet Global Health published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 01 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on HPV vaccination impact in South Africa: evidence and next steps.
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