Ene Ikpebe, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University’s Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, co-authored “Challenges and Opportunities for Cervical Cancer Prevention Through HPV Vaccination in Ghana: A Public Health Policy Analysis,” published in the Journal of Cancer Control in 2025. The following summary was written by Emily Harris (B.S. Psychology & Creative Writing ’28).
Florida State University Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Policy Ene Ikpebe, Ph.D., co-authored “Challenges and Opportunities for Cervical Cancer Prevention Through HPV Vaccination in Ghana: A Public Health Policy Analysis.” The article examines the barriers and opportunities shaping Ghana’s adoption of a national HPV vaccination program and the role of HPV vaccination in cervical cancer prevention. It was co-authored by fellow researchers Eric Asempah and Mary E. Wiktorwicz of the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, as well as Michelle Wyndham-West of OCAD University.
Dr. Ikpebe found that low policy prioritization and ineffective information dissemination are major obstacles to the successful implementation of a national cervical cancer prevention program. Her study identifies the relatively late average age of sexual debut among the study population as a strategic window for effective HPV vaccine delivery, suggesting that targeted public awareness campaigns may help the government improve implementation.
“It would be useful for researchers to conduct similar studies on the challenges to HPV vaccination in other countries,” Ikpebe said. “It would also be helpful to address follow-up questions about how reception to HPV vaccination varies across subpopulations such as teenagers, young adults, and older women.”
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can cause cervical cancer. Numerous countries have initiated national vaccination programs for girls under 15, leading to consistent declines in cervical cancer rates. Yet low and middle-income countries, such as Ghana, face greater challenges in designing and implementing these programs.
Dr. Ikpebe and her co-authors collected data through stakeholder interviews and general population surveys. The interviews captured insights into policy design and delivery from those shaping or implementing the vaccination programs, while the surveys assessed public knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer.
“HPV vaccination policy has seen major changes in Florida in recent years,” Ikpebe said. “Research that raises the question of how it is being received by the public is important for ongoing policy development.”
To learn more about Dr. Ikpebe’s work, visit pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41043027/.