How might we promote HPV vaccinations for girls and HPV screening for women in Nigeria?
Nearly 8,000 Nigerian women die from cervical cancer yearly. Persistent infection by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of many cancers, including cervical cancers. Well-organized HPV vaccination and screening services can reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Nigeria. However, in Nigeria, as in many African countries, there are no organized, widespread cervical cancer prevention programs. In fact, only 1 in 7 girls have been vaccinated and 1 in 10 women have screened for HPV. We can change this!
We believe that girls and women can become empowered to end cervical cancer globally. We seek fresh and dynamic voices and experiences of mothers (including caregivers) and daughters to collaborate as a team to identify ways to promote HPV vaccination for girls and HPV screening for women. We believe you hold a mirror to our society and can challenge conventional expectations about ways to end cervical cancer.
At 4GW, our process advances communities through 4 participatory approaches designed to spark a sense of agency in Nigerian girls and women, encouraging, inspiring, and supporting them to become problem-solvers in their community and the world:

We are calling all mothers (or caregivers such as aunties, sisters, etc.) and daughters to enter as a team, and submit their responses to the contest question:
How might we promote HPV vaccinations for girls and HPV screening for women in Nigeria?
The final deadline for submissions is March 5th, 2023.
Eligibility: Anyone can submit ideas to the open call, but we are particularly interested in submissions from girls and young women (9-26 years old) and women aged 30-49 years old working as a team. Girls who are 9-13 years old must have parental permission to participate in the contest.
Format of your submission: There is no required structure for your submission, regardless of whether you choose a 500-word submission or a video/audio description. However, here are some questions that your submission could address:
What are messages, slogans, or ideas to promote HPV vaccination among girls/women and HPV testing among their mothers?
What are creative ways to reach girls and women in remote areas or who have limited internet access?
How can we engage girls and women to stop the spread of cervical cancer in Nigeria?
- Submission using the online google form: bit.ly/4gwidea
- Links to images, audio files, and video files can be embedded as hyperlinks in the text
- Download your offline submission form here: bit.ly/4gwform
- Please send your filled submission form directly via WhatsApp to 09090496884
- Images, audio files or video clips accompanying your text submissions can be forwarded as well
- Download your offline submission form here: bit.ly/4gwform
- Bring it to the NIMR office here: Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Clinical Science department, 6 Edmund Crescent Yaba, Lagos, and contact person: Dr. Agatha Wapmuk
Deadline: March 5, 2023
Judging and Notification: March 12, 2023
Designathon: March 31 – April 2, 2023
Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, Dr. Joseph Tucker, Dr. Oliver Ezechi, Dr. Titi Gbaja-biamila, Ms. Chisom Obiezu-umeh, Dr. Agatha Wapmuk, Dr. Ucheoma Nwaozuru, Ms. Ekene Kokelu, Dr. Ifeoma Obionu, Ms. Mengmeng Jia
Join The Movement
Enter The Open Call
Answer the question: How might we increase cervical cancer self-screening and HPV vaccination amongst girls and women in Nigeria?