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BACKGROUND
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Advocacy has played a pivotal role in advancing the use of HPV vaccination as a tool in the fight against cervical cancer, leading to significant progress in prevention, early detection, and treatment. Through awareness campaigns, policy influence, and community mobilization, advocates have been at the forefront pushing for the adoption of life-saving tools such as HPV vaccination and routine screening programs. This upcoming webinar focuses on learning from successful advocacy initiatives to boost HPV awareness and increase HPV vaccination uptake efforts, learning from the East Africa regional targeting work by Girl Effect, as well as local champions trying to create change in their local communities.
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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
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PRESENTER: Stecy Bosse
Youth Advocate for HPV, Kenya
Stecy, now 17, began advocating for the HPV vaccine at age 14 when she was scheduled to receive her dose. After researching, she discovered its effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer. She learned that many girls in Kisumu had not been vaccinated, despite high rates of teenage pregnancy, indicating exposure to HPV. She also found that many who received the vaccine did so without understanding its purpose, following adult instruction. Motivated to change this, Stecy used her passion for sports to educate teenage girls, launching the annual "STECY BOSSE 10KM HPV RUN" three years ago. In 2024, she initiated the "FATHER-DAUGHTER CERVICAL CANCER CHARITY DANCE" to engage men in cervical cancer prevention.
Stecy gained hands-on experience by volunteering for three months each at Kisumu Specialist Hospital and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, where she learned more about HPV and cervical cancer alongside experts and patients. She discovered that some cervical cancer patients suffer from abnormal bleeding, requiring diapers for sanitation and dignity. She then fundraised for diapers through CITAM Church Kisumu and Aga Khan Primary School. Stecy continues to raise awareness in schools and the wider community, promoting informed decision-making about the HPV vaccine.
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PRESENTER: Rita Mbeba
Country Director, Girl Effect Tanzania
Mrs. Rita Mbeba (MBA in Health, Leadership and Management, Masters in Public Health) is the Country
Director of Girl Effect Tanzania. Rita is a public health specialist with over 17 years of experience in programming, social behaviour change, leadership, health and management. Mrs. Rita has extensive experience working in the development sector, addressing adolescent girls and young women needs in Tanzania. Throughout her career she has led and contributed to the design of human centered design approaches for reaching and addressing challenges for adolescent and youth in communities.
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PRESENTER: Blain Berhane
Senior Program Manager, Girl Effect Ethiopia
Blain has extensive experience in managing gender and youth sexual and reproductive health (SRH) initiatives across various local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Her passion lies in advocating for the rights and health of women and young people, and she is committed to lifelong learning in these areas.
Her professional background includes developing, implementing, assessing, and monitoring effective project solutions, and has spearheaded several innovative initiatives to drive change. Currently, she leads Girl Effect’s program aimed at generating demand for HPV and routine immunization vaccines among adolescents and young caregivers.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Addis Ababa University and completed a postgraduate course in International Development Studies at the University of Oslo, Norway. Throughout her career, she has engaged in numerous trainings relevant to my work, including: TOT-VCAT facilitator, Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking Fellow, Leadership skills development, Advocacy skills in population and reproductive health, Basic training on sexuality, gender, and HIV/AIDS, Project development and management.
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MODERATOR: Dr. Jones Kaponda Masiye
Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases, Food Security and Nutrition
East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC)
Dr. Jones Masiye, is a trained Medical Doctor and a public health specialist and currently holds the position of Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Food Security, and Nutrition at the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC). He is a seasoned healthcare professional with a diverse background encompassing clinical practice, public health management, and policy advocacy. His expertise lies in NCDs, ensuring food security, and advancing nutritional interventions. Prior to his current role, he served as the Deputy Director at the Malawi Ministry of Health Headquarters, overseeing curative and nutritional services, policy development, and program implementation. His leadership was instrumental in enhancing healthcare delivery and workforce capacity building. He also served as the Head of NCDs and Mental Health at the Malawi Ministry of Health Headquarters, where he coordinated national efforts on NCDs prevention and management, facilitated policy development, and led training programs for community healthcare workers. He is an esteemed member of the Non-Communicable Diseases and Injuries (NCDI) Lancet Steering Committee and serves on the NCDI Poverty Network's Southern Africa Advisory Committee. He co-chaired the NCDI Poverty Lancet Commission for Malawi and held positions as District Health Officer across various districts in Malawi.
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