• May 13, 2025

Generation Unite of Nigeria's HPV vaccine campaign

A community health mobilizer in Nigeria is combating vaccine misinformation and building trust, one family member at a time.

This is the story of Shamsiyya Abdullahi Jariri, whose incredible work is helping protect girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the leading cause of cervical cancer.

Now more than ever, we need to support community health workers and vaccine programmes protecting children.

UNICEF will continue to stay for children. Join us and share the message that vaccines save lives.

It’s midday in Katsina, Nigeria. The streets are alive with energy as the city’s daily routine hums along — the sounds of passing papalos (three-wheeled vehicles) and keke napep (tricycles) blend with nearby music and the voices of the crowds. Moving through the bustle, a group of immunization campaigners add to the mix, calling out through a hand-held megaphone. Their work is part of a national immunization campaign bringing public figures, actors and social influencers to the street alongside community mobilizers to help raise awareness about routine immunization, HPV vaccines and cervical cancer. 

Since the campaign began in October 2023, Nigeria has vaccinated over 12 million girls against HPV, reducing their chances of developing cervical cancer by up-to 90 per cent. It’s a remarkable accomplishment, driven in large part through community-level campaigning.  

At the heart of this work, dedicated volunteers play a critical role in engaging and mobilizing communities, reaching families with essential health information while helping to combat vaccine hesitancy.  

Spreading the word

Far from the hustle and bustle, light streams through the window of Shamsiyya Abdullahi Jariri’s home. She is deep in prayer, taking a moment of reflection during a long day of work. Shamsiyya is a volunteer community mobilizer, working to protect the girls in her community by promoting immunization and health services.  

Her isn’t easy, involving a long-term commitment to building trust, house-by-house, one family member at a time.

Today, Shamsiyya has help. Her younger sisters, Hadiza, 25, and Safiyya, 19, tag along as she goes door to door, encouraging girls to visit the vaccine centre. 

Shamsiyya's work helps to spread awareness of immunization and of the HPV vaccine, which is now part of Nigeria’s routine immunization programme, targeting girls 9 to 14 years of age. It’s crucial work that has the potential to save lives.

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