Divergent HPV Vaccine Coverage in Bayelsa State MNCH Week: A Study of Data Reliability and Health System Barriers

IntroductionThe Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a critical preventive measure against cervical cancer, particularly when administered to adolescent girls before sexual debut. In Nigeria, campaign-based strategies such as the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week have been adopted to increase HPV vaccine uptake. This study examines the coverage, reliability, and systemic challenges associated with HPV vaccination during the June 2025 MNCH Week in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. While reported coverage exceeded 300%, concerns about data integrity and operational inconsistencies prompted a closer investigation into actual performance and delivery mechanisms. MethodologyA descriptive, cross-sectional study design was adopted, utilizing secondary data from the OPS Room Final Report generated during the June 2025 MNCH Week. The analysis included coverage metrics for HPV vaccination, Vitamin A supplementation, and Deworming interventions. Data were extracted from Power BI dashboards and field monitoring reports and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative ratio assessments. Specific focus was given to operational discrepancies such as delayed rollout, incomplete entries, and tool deployment gaps. ResultsHPV vaccine coverage was reported at 330%, significantly exceeding the target population of 18,122 adolescent girls. In contrast, Vitamin A and Deworming coverage stood at 83% and 55% respectively. LGA-level analysis revealed uniformly inflated HPV coverage across all eight LGAs, with Yenagoa reaching a peak of 390%. Systemic challenges included delayed rollout in Southern Ijaw LGA, incomplete reporting by State Technical Facilitators, and poor data synchronization between manual tallies and digital dashboards. These findings suggest substantial reporting inflation and operational fragmentation, particularly for new interventions like HPV vaccination. ConclusionWhile MNCH Week remains an important platform for delivering public health services, the integrity of data especially for newer interventions like the HPV vaccine must be strengthened through better supervision, training, and validation systems. Reported coverage figures must reflect actual service reach, not administrative targets, to avoid misleading success metrics. A comprehensive reform of planning, monitoring, and community engagement structures is essential for improving future immunization campaigns and maintaining public trust.