Applying the IM4Equity Framework to Advance Equitable HPV Vaccination in Low-Resource Settings
1
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2351
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Preventing cervical cancer through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a critical strategy for improving women’s health and gender equity (8,9,10,11). However, vaccination rates among adolescent girls remain uneven, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), due to persistent gaps driven by intersecting socio-ecological factors (8,9,10,11). This interactive session will introduce attendees to IM4Equity, a meta-framework that integrates four implementation science frameworks (22), and will apply it to systematically identify contextual drivers to improve HCP coverage among underserved adolescent girls.
METHODS:
In the first half of the session, facilitators will summarize contextual factors influencing HPV vaccination programs in low-resource settings, drawing examples from a systematic review of 25 peer-reviewed studies (2021–2025) across LMICs in Asia and Africa (including Bangladesh, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Nepal, Kenya, India, and Nigeria). The second half of the session will include a guided hands-on exercise for participants to apply the IM4Equity template to their current or future projects. Pre-filled IM4Equity framework templates for various settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, community organizations) will be shared with attendees before the interactive session.
RESULTS:
Case examples from LMICs, analyzed across IM4Equity domains, highlight culturally appropriate, gender-responsive strategies—such as school- and community-based delivery, parent and religious leader involvement, mobile vaccination clinics, and cross-sector partnerships (1-21, 23-25). Common implementation challenges include reaching girls who don’t attend school and sustaining community engagement (1-21, 23-25). The interactive exercise allows participants to identify factors and characteristics across individuals, personnel, communities, and organizations, as well as interventions, bridging factors, and the implementation process (22).
CONCLUSIONS:
Aligned with the theme Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability, this interactive workshop will equip public health practitioners and policymakers to generate practical, transferable recommendations for incorporating gender-sensitive indicators and co-develop evidence-informed strategies to strengthen equitable HPV vaccination delivery across diverse settings.
Preventing cervical cancer through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a critical strategy for improving women’s health and gender equity (8,9,10,11). However, vaccination rates among adolescent girls remain uneven, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), due to persistent gaps driven by intersecting socio-ecological factors (8,9,10,11). This interactive session will introduce attendees to IM4Equity, a meta-framework that integrates four implementation science frameworks (22), and will apply it to systematically identify contextual drivers to improve HCP coverage among underserved adolescent girls.
METHODS:
In the first half of the session, facilitators will summarize contextual factors influencing HPV vaccination programs in low-resource settings, drawing examples from a systematic review of 25 peer-reviewed studies (2021–2025) across LMICs in Asia and Africa (including Bangladesh, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Nepal, Kenya, India, and Nigeria). The second half of the session will include a guided hands-on exercise for participants to apply the IM4Equity template to their current or future projects. Pre-filled IM4Equity framework templates for various settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, community organizations) will be shared with attendees before the interactive session.
RESULTS:
Case examples from LMICs, analyzed across IM4Equity domains, highlight culturally appropriate, gender-responsive strategies—such as school- and community-based delivery, parent and religious leader involvement, mobile vaccination clinics, and cross-sector partnerships (1-21, 23-25). Common implementation challenges include reaching girls who don’t attend school and sustaining community engagement (1-21, 23-25). The interactive exercise allows participants to identify factors and characteristics across individuals, personnel, communities, and organizations, as well as interventions, bridging factors, and the implementation process (22).
CONCLUSIONS:
Aligned with the theme Health Without Borders: Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability, this interactive workshop will equip public health practitioners and policymakers to generate practical, transferable recommendations for incorporating gender-sensitive indicators and co-develop evidence-informed strategies to strengthen equitable HPV vaccination delivery across diverse settings.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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