UN Political declaration on NCDs: Boys recognised in HPV vaccination efforts

Over the summer, NOMAN and Global Action on Men's Health worked with partners across our global network to ensure that the protection of boys against HPV was explicitly recognised in the draft Political Declaration of the UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), negotiated at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This advocacy contributed directly to the langauge now present in the negotiated text.

We are encouraged to report that for the first time in a global declaration, boys are explicitly included in calls for HPV vaccination and are recognised as a key component in endeavours to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. Read the declaration

From the Political Declaration of UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs:

"Eliminate cervical cancer by scaling up where appropriate: (i) human papillomavirus vaccination coverage for girls and boys; (ii) access to effective, feasible and appropriate screening for cervical cancer, especially for those at higher risk, such as women living with HIV; (iii) access to early, quality treatment for all women with cervical cancer; and integrate breast and cervical cancer prevention in national programmes;"

Last week, I was invited to Melbourne to co-host a session at the World Cancer Leaders' Summit on transformative strategies to prevent HPV-related cancers. The session explored collaborative pathways towards a future free from HPV cancers an diseases, complementing themes raised across the Summit around prevention, cancer control, and the importance of the lived-experience of patients.

Throughout the Summit, the UNGA declaration was dicussed. Leaders reaffirmed that although the declaration has not yet been formally adopted due to remaining disagreements by just two member states, 191 members have broadly agreed to the text. This was described as an "in-principle agreement" and a "consensus that all of us can work from". Importantly for our work, is the recognition from countries across the globe that vaccinating boys against HPV is essential.

This is undoubtedly a step forward although there is room for improvement. Our recommendation called for language recognising the role of HPV vaccination in preventing all HPV cancers, not just cervical cancer. That this broader focus was not included this time, shows that there is still work to be done.

Nonetheless, we celebrate this as progress - it indicates how far we have come thanks to your support. It demonstrates what is possible when we collaborate to influence change, and it galvanises us to build on this momentum to ensure future commitments fully reflect the opportunity to end the suffering caused by HPV worldwide.

In November, we received a further boost with an update to International Agency for Research on Cancer and its European Code Against Cancer. The fifth edition sets out 14 recommendations that offer a clear roadmap to reduce cancer risk, address common misconceptions, and support better public health and well-being.

The updated code includes an expanded recommendation on HPV vaccination that now highlights the importance of offering vaccination to both girls and boys. It also urges countries to strengthen their HPV vaccination programmes so they can reach the 90 percent coverage target for girls and boys, which is essential for maximising population level protection.

Thank you for helping making this possible.

Sincerely,

David Winterflood

Director