A new global initiative is calling for a more ambitious, ethical and equitable approach that will see more boys and men gaining access to cancer-preventing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and protect more people worldwide from HPV-related cancers.

Launched jointly by Global Action on Men’s Health and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV, a new six-point plan calls for the World Health Organisation (WHO), other health organisations and individual governments not currently providing gender-neutral HPV vaccination (GNV) programmes to reconsider their position with the goal of achieving GNV worldwide by 2030. Over 20 influential organisations working in the field have already backed this call to action.

The announcement was made on 19 September 2024 at a meeting held at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. A new report setting out the case for a change in global policy was published and a new campaign website launched.

“To protect both women and men effectively, it is essential to vaccinate boys, as well as girls, and with political will, worldwide GNV is achievable by 2030,” said Peter Baker, Director, Global Action on Men’s Health. “Around 1 in 5 men worldwide carry a cancer-causing HPV infection. Men are much more likely to carry the virus, and to transmit it, than women.”

HPV causes around 5% of all cancer cases worldwide, which equates to an estimated 180,000 cancer cases in men and 660,000 cases in women annually. While the narrative surrounding HPV vaccination has traditionally focused on women, it is essential that the conversation now includes vaccinating boys as well as girls. Even though the most common HPV-related malignancy is cervical cancer, the virus can also cause many others, including penile cancer, anal and head and neck cancers. Current HPV vaccination programmes, which are designed to reach young people before they become sexually active, exist in 140 countries. Most of these programmes are in high-income countries, and only half are gender neutral.

“The clue is in the name; human papillomavirus not female papillomavirus, and we have the tools to protect everyone, regardless of sex or gender from the cancers caused by HPV,” said David Winterflood, Director, NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV. “It is time for policymakers to follow the science and embrace the robust and overwhelming evidence for the public health benefits of HPV gender-neutral vaccination. Not only do GNV programmes enable us to eliminate all HPV cancers faster, they are more resilient, simplify public health messaging and help destigmatise the falsehood that HPV is a female only problem.”

The five-point plan urges global policymakers to ensure equitable access to HPV vaccination among both boys and girls. Specifically, it proposes:

• HPV must be understood, and responded to, as a threat to the health of all sexes and genders.
• GNV should be viewed from the perspective of its potential to eliminate high-risk, oncogenic HPV types, thereby accelerating the elimination of not only cervical cancer, but all cancers caused by HPV.
• By 2028, global policymakers should have reviewed the issue of GNV with a view to recommending its implementation. WHO must make boys a primary target for HPV vaccination.
• By 2030, countries currently without an HPV vaccination programme should have introduced HPV vaccination on a gender-neutral basis, while countries currently with a girls-only programme should have transitioned to GNV.
• A greater focus is needed on increasing vaccine uptake to at least 90% for all, a target most likely to be achieved through school-based vaccination programmes.

The plan has been endorsed by 20 organizations, including: Cancer Alliance (South Africa), HPV Global Action (Canada), European Association of Urology (EAU), European Cancer Organisation (ECO), Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (USA), Men’s Foundation (South Africa), Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Coalition for HPV Elimination, Movember, Swedish Cancer Society, Outreach Scout Foundation (Malawi) and the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA).