A vaccine, a voice, a future

It is the end of September in Kaolack. This time of year, the weather can change quickly: one hour it’s heat, the next, wind and rain. The dusty roads of the city carry calmly the weight of this transition, and throughout the streets, routines go on, even in the thick of the rainy season. People here are used to watching the skies and carrying on anyway, even as the dry season edges closer.  

In a little corner of this port city, something important is unfolding. A silent health revolution, one that doesn’t make headlines, but quietly shapes futures. Today, walking along one of Kaolack’s roads, 13-year-old Anta, a 4th grade student, is on her way to the Kanda health centre. She wears a smile on her face and determination in her step. 

This is not her first visit, the health centre is familiar, almost part of her story. It’s where she will get her human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and where her grandmother, a community home health worker, has spent years helping others.  It is also where she first had access to the UNICEF-led HPV Plus initiative although her knowledge on the danger posed by cervical cancer has deeper roots: “Every year there is a cervical cancer screening and vaccination of girls against cervical cancer.

Health workers come to school to inform us and ask us to get vaccinated to protect ourselves against this disease” she says.

Today at the departmental council in Kaolack is also the day of the launch, Anta becomes the first girl in Kaolack to benefit from a new initiative called HPV Plus.  The initiative leverages HPV vaccination as a gateway to provide other essential health services for adolescents, including nutrition, reproductive health, HIV care, and mental health support. HPV+ helps empower girls to take charge of their health and development, while also supporting the well-being of their families and communities.

Waiting for her is a small pink bag, a simple package, but one filled with purpose. Inside: soap, sanitary towels, bicarbonate of soda, and a booklet answering questions about menstruation. It’s a thoughtful mix of information and practical care.  “I am very satisfied with this initiative” - she says, holding the kit - “because it allows us to manage our menstrual hygiene while maintaining good health”.

Anta has one dream, a vision for her future: to protect her family and community. She dreams of a uniform of police officer, but safety for this smart girl starts with health. “At first, I was a little stressed about getting the vaccine but now I am so relieved and happy to be protected. It's a good thing to prevent diseases, especially cancer.  As a young girl, health for me comes before everything” says Anta.

The HPV Plus initiative is designed to do just that. It connects the dots between HPV vaccination, cervical cancer prevention, menstrual hygiene, and broader adolescent health services. In its first phase, the programme aims to reach at least 22,000 girls aged 9 to 14 in the districts of Kaolack, Salémata, Ziguinchor, and Touba. It also seeks to enroll 2,000 girl leaders to raise awareness in their schools and youth networks. The goal: increase HPV vaccination coverage to 90% by the end of 2025 in targeted districts and bring communities closer to eliminating cervical cancer as a threat to the next generation. 

At the heart of this work is a multisectoral approach. Health services, education, family and youth departments, community organizations and civil society, all working together to reach girls not only with vaccines, but with knowledge, information, and support. Forums are being organized to give girls a voice: to hear their questions, listen to their experiences, and make them partners in this public health journey. 

Girls like Anta are not beneficiaries. They are leaders, advocates, and role models: “I think it is very important to elect young girls to be role models to raise awareness among their peers. I am now very comfortable talking about health because I have been vaccinated and am an example. I talk constantly with my friends, and I always suggest them to do like me and get vaccinated. I feel they are very motivated in doing it” she says.

But this story doesn’t start, or end, with Anta. It goes back to her grandmother, whose generation lived in a different reality. A time when the vaccine didn’t exist, when information was limited, and options even more so.  Cervical cancer is a major public health burden in Senegal. It is the most frequent cancer among women in the country. Each year, around 2,064 new cases are diagnosed, and an estimated 1,327 women lose their lives. That means for every 100 women who get the disease, more than 60 die, often because they were diagnosed too late or couldn’t access treatment. It is a crisis that affects grandmothers and mothers, daughters and nieces. And it is a crisis that can be prevented.  

As someone from a generation that didn’t have immediate access to the HPV vaccine or the protection it offers, Aminata, Anta’s grandmother, understands just how important this opportunity is for today’s girls. “This vaccine is a promise for the future — for families, and for the whole community,” she says. “I spoke with my granddaughter about the benefit of the vaccine and reminded her how fortunate she is to have it available. The family supported the decision to vaccinate her wholeheartedly. As a community health worker, I encourage other families to do the same: to vaccinate their daughters and stand alongside health providers during awareness campaigns.”

The HPV+ initiative, led by UNICEF, is making that opportunity possible for thousands of girls.

In Kaolack, prevention now begins with young advocates like Anta, whose courage and curiosity help open doors for others. Her pink bag may be small, but it carries something powerful: protection, confidence, and the belief that health is something every girl deserves.