Football tournament in Zimbabwe spreads awareness of cervical cancer

Some 200 teenage girls from six countries took part in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-17 girls’ tournament in Zimbabwe in December.

But the focus of the competition was less about their games and more about raising awareness of cervical cancer and encouraging an uptake of the HPV vaccine.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is sexually transmitted and the primary cause of cervical cancer and the vaccine can prevent up to 90 per cent of cases.

It is the fourth most common cancer among women, with Africa accounting for nearly a quarter of global deaths.

Global vaccine alliance, Gavi, says 19 of the 20 most affected countries are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The tournament was part of the Goal Getters campaign - launched last year – in a joint initiative by Gavi together with CAF, and UEFA.

"One of the great aspects of the campaign is it enables us to blend two things that young ladies, teenage girls, are really passionate about. One is sport, and the other is health," says Gavi spokesperson, Olly Cann.

One of the players, Nteboheleng Sooane, says while she was sorry her team did not make it to the finals, it was a good experience.

"Cancer is a big disease. So every child should get the vaccine so that they can be protected,” she says. “So all of us must. We came here to learn about it and also about soccer, so it improves our intelligence."

Gavi says globally, one woman dies every two minutes from cervical cancer.

"As a platform, the tournaments are really, really good. It creates a really safe space where the girls can feel trusted, they can feel secure, they also feel empowered," says Cann.

Offered for free, the HPV vaccine being administered to girls aged between 9 and 14 years, saving families thousands of dollars in treatment costs later in life if they are not vaccinated.

After setbacks caused by COVID-19 lockdowns and uneven national immunisation programmes, Africa has intensified HPV vaccination drives in recent years.

The World Health Organization says coverage for at least one dose of the HPV vaccine rose to 40 per cent in 2023 from 28 per cent the previous year, driven by expanded campaigns backed by governments and Gavi.

Even so, misinformation and stigma around reproductive health remain major obstacles.

On a recent weekend in January, just two 10-year-old girls turned up for vaccination at Budiriro Polyclinic in one of Harare’s densely populated townships — a pattern health officials say is common, forcing most HPV vaccinations to be delivered through schools instead.

"Some parents keep their children away from school on the day we visit because they think the injections are a secret family planning method that will prevent their children from having babies,” says community nurse, Barbra Mashonga.

“There are many misconceptions, which is why health education is a major part of the campaign, and it is slowly helping to improve the situation."

Ahead of the tournament, Zimbabwe introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine, a shift authorities hope will boost uptake following the two-dose regime rolled out nationally in 2018.