The Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone, has announced the nationwide rollout of its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Multi-Age Cohort (MAC) Campaign, aiming to vaccinate girls aged 11 to 18 as part of a major national effort to prevent cervical cancer, one of the deadliest cancers affecting women in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the announcement, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alie Wurie confirmed that more than 168,000 girls have already been vaccinated since the country began expanding HPV immunization.
“We have vaccinated over 168,000 young girls in Sierra Leone since we launched the HPV vaccination campaign,” Dr. Wurie said, noting that the Ministry intends to significantly scale up coverage during the upcoming MAC campaign.
Deputy Minister of Health II, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha highlighted the urgency of the initiative, calling cervical cancer “a preventable disease that has taken our mothers, our children, and our sisters.”
She shared her own personal experience, noting that she lost her grandmother to the disease.
“Sierra Leone has one of the highest cervical cancer fatality rates. But today, we are in a different era,” she said. “We have more knowledge, more vaccines, and more screening services. Our goal is to prevent cervical cancer in Sierra Leone.”
The Ministry of Health will officially launch the HPV MAC Campaign on Monday, 17th November, 2025 at the St Joseph’s Convent Secondary School in Freetown.
The campaign will run from 17 to 23 November 2025, offering a free single-dose HPV vaccine to girls aged 11–18, both in and out of school.
Routine immunization will continue for all 10-year-old girls, who receive the HPV vaccine at health facilities and selected schools.
The Deputy Minister said Sierra Leone has over 1 million girls eligible for vaccination and has already secured 1.3 million doses, ensuring more than enough supply.
“This campaign is made possible through strong partnerships — the Ministry of Health, the Government of Sierra Leone, Gavi, and UNICEF,” she said. “Sierra Leone even does better than the US and many other countries on immunization. Countries come here to learn from us.”
In addition to nationwide vaccination, Sierra Leone has established 24 cervical cancer screening sites across the country. Women aged 25 and above are encouraged to visit district hospitals for screening, which remains a key part of early detection and prevention.
The Ministry stressed that vaccination, combined with access to screening, will significantly reduce the country’s cervical cancer burden. Until a few years ago, many women were dying from cervical cancer “without even knowing it,” the Deputy Minister said.
What Is Cervical Cancer and HPV
Cervical cancer is caused primarily by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common infection that can lead to abnormal cell growth in the cervix. In Sierra Leone, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths among women.
