Quasi-experimental evaluation of a social media campaign to promote HPV vaccination in Bauchi state, Nigeria

A quasi-experimental social media campaign in Bauchi state, Nigeria increased HPV vaccination among girls ages 9–14 from 69% baseline to 86% endline over ~3 months.

• Why it matters: HPV vaccination and early screening can reduce cervical cancer risk, yet vaccine uptake and hesitancy remain major public health challenges in LMICs like Nigeria.
• What they did: The study ran two Meta and TikTok behavior-change campaigns using parent-focused videos, using a heavy-up quasi-experimental design via the Virtual Lab platform and GEE modeling of engagement, attitudes, and hesitancy.
• The result: Higher engagement was associated with higher vaccination rates at midline and endline, and pro-vaccine attitudes with reduced hesitancy predicted higher uptake; additional vaccinations cost $0.81, $2.10, and $2.40 per vax across phase 1, phase 2, and the total period.

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