Today, Global Action on Men’s Health and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV delivers an open letter to the World Health Organization, calling on it to implement the UN Political Declaration Commitment to HPV Vaccination for Boys and Girls.
We welcome the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing on 15 December 2025 (unlm4_draft_pd_a_80_l_34.pdf). Now that the international community has overwhelmingly endorsed the UN Political Declaration, we call on WHO to update its approach and implementation guidance on HPV vaccination for boys to reflect fully the UN’s resolution, by committing to support strengthened efforts to prevent HPV-related cancers and diseases in all populations, including males.
Commonly known for causing cervical cancer, HPV also causes vulval and vaginal cancer in women, penile cancer in men and anal, oropharyngeal and other cancers in both sexes, as well as anogenital warts and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). While girls-only vaccination has successfully reduced cervical cancer, the evidence on how best to eliminate cervical cancer and the widening global gap in cancer outcomes between men and women and between high and low-income countries, no longer supports a single-sex approach. Evidence from lower-income countries, including Cameroon, Tanzania and Bhutan, has also shown that a universal approach can strengthen public trust in and acceptance of HPV vaccination.
Today, we ask WHO what steps it will take to extend HPV vaccination globally and whether it will work with member states to expand routine universal (gender-neutral) HPV vaccination programmes.
