Making HPV vaccination more youth-friendly and accessible for girls in Nigeria
Research Project 1
This project partners with Nigerian girls, families, and communities to create youth-led ways to make HPV vaccines easier to get for girls aged 9–15.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11411619 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a girl, parent, or community member in Nigeria, this project will involve you in designing and testing ways to deliver HPV vaccines that work for youth. The team uses youth participatory action methods so young people lead idea generation, plus community apprenticeships to build local capacity. They will use crowdsourcing activities like open calls and designathons and evaluate barriers to rolling out the new approaches. The goal is to decentralize vaccine access so more eligible girls can receive HPV vaccination in places that are acceptable and convenient for them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are girls aged 9–15 in Nigerian communities (and their parents, youth leaders, and local clinics) who can take part in participatory design activities or receive vaccines through the program.
Not a fit: People outside the targeted age range, boys, or individuals living outside the participating Nigerian communities are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for girls to get HPV shots and lower future HPV-related cancer risk in participating communities.
How similar studies have performed: Community engagement and participatory approaches have helped improve vaccine uptake in some settings, though success varies and this project applies those ideas specifically to HPV vaccination in Nigeria.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Iwelunmor, Juliet — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Iwelunmor, Juliet
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.