Awareness and Perceptions about Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination among Community Health Workers of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major public health problem in India, predominantly affecting women of lower socioeconomic status. Knowledge of HPV vaccination among community health workers: ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) is vital as it can influence the broader population and avoid this preventable disease at the grass root level. Currently, effective and safe vaccines are available to prevent HPV 16 and HPV 18 infection in HPV-naive women in the form of bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines. Poor awareness exists about cervical cancer and its prevention among women in India. Community Health Workers (CHWs) link the health system to the masses and thus play an important role in the promotion of HPV Vaccines and educating the community about the same. This study aimed to assess the awareness and perceptions of CHWs on HPV vaccination in a rural block of Lucknow. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 60 CHWs (ASHA & ANM) in a rural block of Lucknow using a pretested Semi-structured questionnaire will be used for data collection. Results: About 21 (35%) CHWs had awareness about Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection (Figure 2). Among the ASHA workers, 10 (27.7%) out of 36 workers interviewed had awareness about HPV infections while among the 24 ANMs interviewed, 11(45.8%) had HPV infection awareness. Regular training on cervical cancer and its screening should be integrated into their routine sessions at Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs). Key words: HPV, awareness, vaccination, Community Health Worker, Perceptions