A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 studies across sub-Saharan Africa finds that parents with higher education and income levels are more likely to be aware of HPV vaccines and to accept vaccination for their children. The review included 24 cross-sectional and 2 cohort studies, examining outcomes of parental awareness (7 studies), acceptability (14 studies), and both (4 studies). Associations were statistically significant: for example, higher education was associated with awareness with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.81 (95% CI: 2.11–6.88) across four studies.
However, the authors emphasize that the evidence is limited and inconsistent—heterogeneity is high (I² often > 70 %) and overall certainty ranges from low to very low. They caution that socioeconomic factors are only part of the story, and that multifaceted strategies are needed to improve HPV vaccine uptake. For policymakers, these findings underscore the importance of equity-oriented policies: interventions to increase awareness and acceptance should especially target parents with lower education and income, and rural vs. urban disparities must be addressed.
How can the findings be used?
These findings can inform policymakers, public health officials and immunization managers in sub-Saharan Africa when designing and scaling up HPV vaccination programs. By considering socioeconomic differences, they can develop more effective approaches to increase parental awareness and acceptance of the HPV vaccine. Strengthening equity-oriented strategies such as community education, school-based vaccination and outreach in underserved areas may help increase HPV vaccine uptake and reduce socioeconomic disparities.
Thumbnail image credit: Gavi/2023/Latitude Space Africa
Any organization or individual working in the field of immunization economics can submit findings, opportunities, calls to action, or other relevant work below to be shared with our community.