
About the International HPV Awareness Campaign
Around the world, HPV causes nearly half a million deaths each year, most of which are preventable. And yet, awareness of HPV and the diseases it causes is very low – many people are unaware of how to protect their health. Established in 2018, the International HPV Awareness Campaign is a core initiative of IPVS to address the dire need to raise awareness of this common virus and the harm it causes. Since most HPV cancer is preventable through vaccination, screening and timely treatment, the need to raise public awareness of HPV is that much more urgent.
Together we can eliminate HPV and the cancers that it causes. But to do so, people need to know HPV exists, how it affects us, and that it is preventable. The campaign’s objectives are to inform the public about HPV, to normalize the conversation to reduce stigma, and to inspire individuals to get vaccinated and screened if possible. The campaign aims to empower individuals and society with the knowledge needed to take effective action to reduce the harm caused by HPV.
Driven by passionate IPVS members, International HPV Awareness Day each year on March 4th has grown to become part of the annual calendar for many organizations around the world that are committed to addressing HPV-related cancer. Our public-facing website is AskAboutHPV.org, with sharable information on HPV and inspiring stories in many commonly spoken languages. Our official 140+ official campaign partners include civil-society organizations in 57 countries, committed to tailoring and using the evidence-based, translated and peer-reviewed campaign resources to build awareness of HPV within their communities.
Over the last few years, the campaign has used the theme “One Less Worry” to communicate that in an uncertain and turbulent world with many concerns that are outside of our personal control, HPV is something we can tackle: it is a virus we can prevent – we have the tools to do so. This means One Less Worry on the personal level. And if we work together, we can reduce the global cancer burden by around 5%.
Official campaign partners and IPVS members have access to the HPV Hub, an online platform to support communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration between campaign partners and IPVS members and with an interest in public awareness and advocacy campaigning.
To find out more about the IPVS Awareness Campaign Committee and its members, click here.
For more information about the IHAD Campaign, or to become directly involved, visit AskAboutHPV.org or send an email to HPVday@kenes.com
>> READ 2024 CAMPAIGN REPORT <<
HPV affects all of us. Watch personal HPV story highlights from around the world.
High-level panel 2024
To commemorate the 7th Annual International HPV Awareness Day on March 4th, 2024, IPVS hosted a live, high-level panel event to explore the opportunities and challenges advancing access to treatment of HPV-related cancer. Our global panel of medical research experts, advocates, and HPV cancer survivors all weighed in on where we are and what needs to happen. We invite you to watch this interesting discussion, which drives home the need to raise awareness about HPV and mobilize political will to allocate resources to training and treatment opportunities.
Watch the recording of this panel event >> here <<