Dr. Sania Nishtar

Stories

Papua New Guinea launches national HPV vaccination for girls

As of September 2026: Overseeing Gavi's funding and co-financing of the program

Papua New Guinea introduced human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination into its national immunization program on September 8, 2026. At a ceremony at New Erima Primary School in Port Moresby, health workers gave the first single doses to girls aged 9–14.

Updated Sep 19

African measles vaccination campaign saves nearly 20 million lives since 2000

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Leading Gavi's "Leap" reform agenda

In 2000, measles killed roughly 480,000 people a year in Africa, mostly children under five. A quarter-century of sustained vaccination — more than half a billion routine doses and 622 million supplemental campaign doses across 44 countries — has cut that toll in half, saving an estimated 19.5 million lives. Three sub-Saharan nations have now eliminated the disease entirely, a milestone once considered decades away.

Updated May 31

Notable Quotes

With just one dose of the HPV vaccine, we can give a girl lasting protection against cervical cancer and the chance of a healthier future.

from Papua New Guinea launches national HPV vaccination for girls · Updated Sep 19

"This analysis highlighting twenty-four years of remarkable progress on the African continent demonstrates the immense life-saving power of vaccines when immunisation is prioritised as a matter of policy." — April 2026 statement

from African measles vaccination campaign saves nearly 20 million lives since 2000 · Updated May 31