Boys, Men and HPV sets out the case for a more ambitious, ethical and equitable approach to HPV vaccination — one that gives boys and men access to a vaccine that prevents cancer, and in doing so protects more people worldwide from HPV-related disease.
Published jointly by Global Action on Men’s Health and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV, the report was launched on 19 September 2024 at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, alongside the End HPV Global campaign. It contains a six-point plan calling on the World Health Organization, other health bodies and national governments without gender-neutral vaccination (GNV) programmes to reconsider their position, with the goal of achieving GNV worldwide by 2030.
Why it matters
HPV is responsible for roughly 5% of all cancer cases worldwide — an estimated 180,000 cases in men and 660,000 in women each year. Cervical cancer remains the most common HPV-related malignancy, but the virus also causes penile, anal, and head and neck cancers. Vaccination programmes currently operate in some 140 countries, mostly high-income, and only around half of these are gender-neutral.
The six-point plan
- HPV should be understood, and acted on, as a threat to the health of all sexes and genders.
- GNV should be judged by its potential to eliminate high-risk oncogenic HPV types — accelerating the elimination not only of cervical cancer but of every cancer the virus causes.
- By 2028, global policymakers should have reviewed GNV with a view to recommending it, and WHO should make boys a primary target for vaccination.
- By 2030, countries with no HPV programme should have introduced one on a gender-neutral basis, and countries running girls-only programmes should have transitioned to GNV.
- Health partnerships and capacity-building should link countries with established GNV programmes to lower-income countries implementing them.
- Uptake should be raised to at least 90% for all — a target most achievable through school-based delivery.
Endorsements
The call to action has been endorsed by organisations including the Cancer Alliance (South Africa), HPV Global Action (Canada), the European Association of Urology, the European Cancer Organisation, the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (USA), the Men’s Foundation (South Africa), the MENA Coalition for HPV Elimination, Movember, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Outreach Scout Foundation (Malawi) and the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
Published by Global Action on Men’s Health and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV, September 2024 (2025 reprint).
