On 20 May 2026, GAMH along with our partners NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV convened a roundtable on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly to discuss and inform future global policy and narratives on HPV vaccination. This report reflects the presentations and contributions made at this roundtable.

These are the key messages:

• There is growing international recognition that human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention should move beyond a sole focus on cervical cancer elimination towards the prevention of all HPV-related cancers and diseases affecting both females and males.
• Routine universal (gender-neutral) HPV vaccination – the vaccination of all children and young people against HPV – should become a core pillar of the current and post-2030 global HPV strategy. Routine universal vaccination offers protection to everyone (not only vaccinated women and girls), and accelerates cancer and other disease prevention across the whole population.
• New scientific evidence on universal vaccination, including very significant long-term findings from Finland, strengthens the case for vaccinating boys by demonstrating reductions in HPV infection, and increased herd protection from HPV-related pre-cancers and cancers among females.
• HPV-related cancers affecting males – oropharyngeal, anal and penile cancers – are increasing in many countries. Unlike cervical cancer, HPV-related cancers in men lack established routine population screening programmes, making vaccination – which is proven to be effective in reducing HPV prevalence among men – the only effective prevention tool.

The full report is available to view here.