PloS one
Navigating HPV vaccination challenges in low-resource settings: Practical strategies for estimating the size of out-of-school girls
By Park S, Rosser EN, Zhang L and 6 others.
Abstract
Background
Achieving the 2030 target of 90% human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among girls by age 15 requires effectively reaching out-of-school (OOS) girls, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where most vaccine delivery occurs in school settings. This study explored country definitions of OOS girls and strategies for estimating the size of this population.
Methods
Between May and September 2024, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 32 HPV vaccine program stakeholders across six African and Asian LMICs with established HPV vaccination programs: Cambodia, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda. Using hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analyses, we identified country approaches to defining OOS girls and to enumerating or estimating population size.