Teachers tapped in cervical cancer prevention drive

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers are being tapped to help address one of the Philippines’ most persistent but largely preventable health threats: cervical cancer.

The Department of Education and Jhpiego, a global health nonprofit affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, have launched a new resource booklet to equip teachers and education support personnel with evidence-based information on human papillomavirus vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.

The initiative recognizes schools and educators as key partners in efforts to improve vaccine uptake nationwide as thousands of Filipino women continue to be diagnosed with and die from cervical cancer each year, despite growing awareness among families about the importance of HPV vaccination.

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During a hybrid orientation and consultation in Pasig City, representatives from various DepEd central office bureaus, all 18 regional offices, and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were introduced to the new educational material titled “Guro Laban sa Cervical Cancer.”

The resource was developed by DepEd’s Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division in partnership with Jhpiego Philippines and with support from the HPV Vaccination Acceleration Program Partners Initiative Consortium.

The HAPPI Consortium supports efforts to increase awareness, demand and access to HPV vaccination through partnerships with government agencies, health professionals, educators and communities as part of broader efforts to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.

DepEd said the booklet will eventually be made available as a self-paced online supplementary learning material for teachers and education support personnel across the country.

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The resource covers the full spectrum of cervical cancer prevention, from HPV vaccination to screening and treatment options for early disease.

It also includes information about available screening methods, including visual inspection with acetic acid, Pap smear testing and HPV DNA testing.

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Officials said the goal is to enable teachers to confidently answer questions from parents and learners while promoting accurate health information in schools.

“Teachers and education support personnel play a critical role in supporting parents and learners with accurate health information. Aside from health workers, they are among the most accessible and trusted sources of information for parents seeking guidance on HPV vaccination,” said Razzel Requesto, director IV at the Bureau of Learner Support Services.

Building on schools’ existing role

The initiative builds on an existing partnership between the health and education sectors.

The annual School-Based Immunization Program, jointly implemented by the Department of Health and DepEd, has been running since 2017.

“Prior to the implementation of SBI activities, Parent-Teacher Association meetings are held to provide parents and guardians with relevant information regarding the program. These efforts complement the health education and promotion initiatives of the DOH and local government units, helping ensure the successful conduct of immunization activities in schools,” Jhpiego Philippines said in a statement.

The global health nonprofit said the activities complement broader health education and promotion efforts carried out by the DOH and local government units to ensure the successful conduct of immunization activities in schools.

The new resource seeks to strengthen those efforts by standardizing the information teachers share with families and ensuring it is grounded in scientific evidence.

“This resource reflects the strength of collaboration between the education and health sectors. Together, we are helping ensure that teachers have the knowledge and tools to promote accurate information on HPV vaccination and protect the health of future generations,” Requesto said.

The booklet was developed with technical recommendations from several DepEd offices, including the Bureau of Curriculum Development, Bureau of Learning Delivery, Bureau of Learning Resources, Public Affairs Service, and the Employees Welfare Division under the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development.

The DOH’s Health Promotion Bureau also provided guidance throughout the process.

For Dr. Lilibeth Gonzales, officer-in-charge chief of the DepEd School Health Division, the resource provides educators with a practical tool they can immediately use.

“The Guro Laban sa Cervical Cancer resource booklet gives teachers a practical reference for addressing questions on HPV vaccination and supporting health-promoting practices in schools,” Gonzales said.

Jhpiego Philippines said strengthening teachers’ capacity to communicate accurate information is an important component of broader efforts to prevent cervical cancer and support informed health decisions among families.

“Cervical cancer is largely preventable, and increasing awareness about HPV vaccination is essential to protecting future generations. Through this partnership, we are helping ensure that teachers have the knowledge and tools to support informed decision-making among parents and learners,” said Dr. Ingrid Magnata, country program manager of Jhpiego Philippines.

A preventable cancer that continues to claim lives

The launch comes against the backdrop of a persistent cervical cancer burden in the Philippines. Although cervical cancer is largely preventable, thousands of Filipino women continue to be diagnosed with and die from the disease every year.

Official nationwide health data previously cited by health experts showed that around 7,897 Filipino women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, while about 4,052 die from it every year.

The disease remains the second most common cancer among women in the country and among women ages 15 to 44.

More recent estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer indicate that approximately 8,549 new cervical cancer cases and around 4,380 deaths occurred in the Philippines in 2023 alone.

Without stronger prevention efforts, projections suggest that as many as 446,020 Filipino women could die from cervical cancer between 2020 and 2070.

READ: Only 1% of PH women screened for breast, cervical cancer

Health experts have long emphasized that many of these cases can be prevented through HPV vaccination and regular screening.

Cervical cancer primarily develops from persistent infection with certain types of HPV, a common virus transmitted through sexual contact. Because the infection is preventable, global health authorities consider cervical cancer among the most preventable forms of cancer.

The World Health Organization recommends HPV vaccination primarily for girls ages 9 to 14, before they are exposed to the virus.

READ: One dose of HPV vaccine may prevent cervical cancer

Screening also remains a key line of defense. WHO guidelines recommend screening beginning at age 30 for women in the general population, or earlier for sexually active women, using HPV tests that can detect infections earlier and more accurately than traditional cytology tests.

Globally, WHO has adopted its “90-70-90” strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.

The targets call for vaccinating 90 percent of girls by age 15, screening 70 percent of women by ages 35 and 45, and ensuring that 90 percent of women with cervical disease receive treatment and care.

READ: Philippines urged to adopt global standards towards cervical cancer elimination by 2030

Modeling studies suggest that if the Philippines successfully achieves these targets, cervical cancer could be eliminated as a public health problem by around 2062, potentially saving more than 970,000 lives by the end of the century.

Awareness is high, but barriers remain

The new teacher resource also arrives shortly after a study found that vaccine hesitancy may not be the country’s biggest challenge. Instead, experts say the problem often lies in missed opportunities.

Findings presented during a national dissemination forum organized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Jhpiego showed that many Filipino families already recognize the importance of HPV vaccination.

However, practical barriers continue to prevent eligible girls from receiving the vaccine.

Researchers examined the behavioral and social drivers influencing HPV vaccination decisions in the Philippines through surveys and interviews involving parents, teachers, adolescent girls and community health workers.

Data gathering was led by the De La Salle University-Social Development Research Center in local government units across Ilocos Norte, Abra, Cagayan Valley and Metro Manila.

The study found that awareness and motivation to vaccinate were generally high, but actual vaccination coverage continued to lag.

“The study revealed critical behavioral and social factors influencing HPV vaccination decisions. While awareness and motivation were high, gaps in vaccine uptake persisted due to practical barriers such as parent availability, stock-outs, absenteeism, and occasional service-quality challenges,” said Dr. Zaldy Collado, project lead of the Behavioral and Social Drivers Tool at the De La Salle University-Social Development Research Center.

“These insights will guide more targeted, evidence-informed strategies to improve vaccination coverage,” he added.

READ: High HPV awareness, but barriers stall PH vaccination

Among the most common barriers identified were parents being unavailable during vaccination schedules, vaccine supply shortages and students being absent on vaccination days.

The findings also highlighted the importance of schools as vaccination platforms.

Beyond serving as immunization sites, schools also function as venues for health education and communication.

Researchers found that mothers are often the primary decision-makers regarding vaccination, although discussions with other family members can still influence final decisions.

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“Understanding behavioral and social drivers of vaccination allows programs to design more responsive and effective immunization strategies. The Philippines’ leadership in field-testing the BeSD Tool contributes valuable evidence to global immunization efforts,” said Dr. Chung-Won Lee, immunization program director of the CDC Philippines Country Office. /dm