The roundtable focused on strengthening institutional and private-sector alignment, expanding HPV vaccination and exploring innovative financing solutions
ABUJA, Nigeria, 30 September 2026, /African Media Agency (AMA)/ – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK) has advocated for increased private sector engagement and partnerships as crucial to strengthening the cancer care ecosystem and expanding equitable access across prevention, screening, treatment and financing in Nigeria.
MSD has underscored the critical role of private-sector collaboration in sustaining and accelerating progress in cancer prevention, screening, treatment and elimination in Nigeria. The call was made at a high-level policy roundtable recently organised by MSD in partnership with Africa Health Business (AHB), themed ‘Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria: Uniting Public and Private Sectors for Equitable Access.’
The roundtable provided a platform to identify practical opportunities for partnership, investment and collective action in support of Nigeria’s cervical cancer elimination priorities. As Nigeria continues to build momentum, wider multi-sector collaboration will be essential to sustain progress and address remaining gaps across the continuum of care.
“Despite the significant burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria, the country continues to make meaningful progress towards cervical cancer elimination. Since its 2023 launch, over 17 million girls aged 9 – 14 have received the HPV vaccine under the Nigerian HPV vaccination programme1. This makes it one of the largest single-country HPV vaccination efforts globally2. Nigeria’s Federal Government has made cervical cancer elimination a national health priority, aligning its efforts with the WHO’s 90-70-90 targets for HPV vaccination, screening and treatment3. The opportunity now is to build on this momentum through stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, healthcare providers, civil society and patient advocates. Sustainable progress will require coordinated action to help ensure that prevention, screening, treatment and financing solutions reach the women and communities that need them most,” stated Vuyo Mjekula, MSD’s External Affairs Director for sub-Saharan Africa.
“MSD continues to play a key role in cervical cancer elimination in Nigeria through ensuring vaccine access to young adolescents and creating enlightenment. Greater private sector participation can complement government efforts, support sustainable access and help extend the reach of prevention initiatives to eligible populations beyond those covered by the national programme,” she added.
The roundtable assembled key stakeholders from government, healthcare, public health, the private sector and the cancer advocacy community for a structured, high-level dialogue.
Discussions centred on strengthening the cervical cancer care continuum in Nigeria through enhanced prevention and treatment efforts, expanded HPV vaccination, innovative financing mechanisms, and stronger public-private collaboration to support sustainable and measurable progress towards cervical cancer elimination.
Nigeria has placed cervical cancer elimination firmly on the national health agenda, making it the only cancer with a dedicated strategic elimination plan and among the top three cancers covered by the Cancer Health Fund4. This reflects the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s recognition that cervical cancer is largely preventable and curable when detected early and its commitment to strengthening prevention and control efforts5. This also underscores the Federal Government of Nigeria’s recognition of cancer as a national health priority.
MSD remains dedicated to supporting health priorities across sub-Saharan Africa through long-term partnerships that advance policy implementation, promote health equity, strengthen health systems, and help expand sustainable access to care for women.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of MSD
About MSD
At MSD, known as MSD & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.msd.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube.
References
1Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (2026) FG Reaffirms Commitment to Eliminate Cervical Cancer, Targets Stronger Screening and Treatment Ahead of 2030. Available at https://fmino.gov.ng/fg-reaffirms-commitment-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-targets-stronger-screening-and-treatment-ahead-of-2030/
2Management Sciences for Health (2025) Nigeria Charts a Sustainable Path for HPV Vaccination: Evidence-Informed Advocacy to Strengthen Cervical Cancer Prevention. Available at https://msh.org/story/nigeria-charts-a-sustainable-path-for-hpv-vaccination/
3Guardian.ng (2026) FG pledges to expand HPV vaccination to end cervical cancer by 2030. Available at https://guardian.ng/features/health/fg-pledges-to-expand-hpv-vaccination-to-end-cervical-cancer-by-2030/
4Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (2026) Nigeria Adopts Global Strategy To Eliminate Cervical Cancer, Kicks Off Nationwide Screening Programme in Owerri. Available at https://health.gov.ng/nigeria-adopts-global-strategy-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-kicks-off-nationwide-screening-programme-in-owerri/
5Commonwealth Secretariat (2026) Cervical Cancer Elimination Across the Commonwealth: A Compendium of Country Case Studies. Available at https://www.iccp-portal.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Cervical-Cancer-Elimination-Across-the-Commonwealth-draft.pdf
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African Media Agency
Seun Igbalode
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