Solomon Islands Big Catch-Up HPV vaccination campaign kicks off

Solomon Islands has launched a nationwide HPV vaccination Big Catch-Up campaign to protect girls aged 9–14 years against cervical cancer.

The campaign is targeting almost 30,000 girls who are either newly eligible for HPV vaccination or who missed vaccine doses between 2020 and 2023.

As in many countries, routine HPV vaccination coverage in Solomon Islands – one of Australia’s nearest neighbours – was disrupted substantially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While WHO data show there was a modest recovery in 2023, a large proportion of eligible girls remain unvaccinated or unrecorded.

The Big Catch-Up campaign is being implemented through a combined school-based and community outreach strategy, with the involvement of more than 850 schools as well as mobile vaccination teams travelling to remote communities to reach girls living in isolated areas who are out of school, including outer islands.

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer [PDF] among women in Solomon Islands, and dozens of women are diagnosed with the disease – and die as a result of it – in the country each year. 
 

Strengthening systems and communities

The carefully planned campaign will incorporate activities including:

• microplanning workshops to map vaccine cold chain capacity, delivery strategies and outreach zones
• training of health workers, teachers, and church and youth leaders to support service delivery and help address vaccine hesitancy
• targeted community engagement through radio, social media, school sessions and community leader mobilisation
• data collection and reporting processes to track coverage, vaccine usage, cold chain status and adverse events following immunisation. 

The campaign will also integrate the delivery of other routine immunisations, offering a critical opportunity to strengthen overall health service delivery and equity.
 

A long-term vision of better health

Working with partners including NCIRS, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, PATH and local civil society organisations, Solomon Islands is aiming to achieve at least 90% coverage rates for HPV vaccine among the target populations – part of a long-term vision to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat in the nation.

‘Together, we can ensure that every eligible girl, between the ages of 9 and 14, receives the HPV vaccine, and we can create a future where cervical cancer is no longer a pervasive threat to our women’, said Solomon Islands Health Minister Honourable Dr Paul Bosawai.

‘The Ministry of Health will be working hand in hand with our Partners and stakeholders, drawing on their invaluable knowledge and expertise to ensure that no girl in Solomon Islands, in our Provinces and in our communities is left behind.’

NCIRS is proud to be supporting Solomon Islands in this important public health initiative, in partnership with the Australian Government and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.