Thesis:

Guardian willingness to vaccinate adolescent daughters against human papillomavirus for cervical cancer prevention in hard-to-reach communities in Mandera county Kenya.

With an estimated 604,127 (3.1%) new cases of cervical cancer and 342,831 (3.4%) fatalities globally in 2020, cervix cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. In Kenya cervical cancer was majorly linked to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), accounting for 12.4% of cases per year with an estimated 5,236 diagnosed cases and approximately 3,211 (11.9%) death attributed to those cases. Vaccination with Human papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine has been taunted as one of the main strategy in curbing the disease. However, its utilization has been low, especially among the hard to reach communities. Finding out whether parents are willing to immunize teenage girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was the main objective of this study. This thesis used a cross-sectional descriptive approach and collected data through; interviews with key informants, discussions in focus group interviews, and a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Parents or guardians of teenage girls between the ages of 9 and 14 who had lived in Mandera East Sub County for at least six months prior to the study's start and gave their consent for participation in the survey were required for inclusion. A sample size of 278 was randomly selected from 5 community units that had different number of households. Using a simple method of random sampling, the households that satisfied the inclusion criteria were chosen. A structured questionnaire was used for gathering quantitative data, which was then analyzed using both descriptive methods like tables and inferential methods like chi-square tests and multiple regression analysis. Categorical data was also interpreted through pie charts and frequency tables. Focus group discussions and interviews with key Informants yielded qualitative data, which was then transcribed using thematic analysis techniques. The study's findings revealed that although guardians in the region we investigated had high awareness of the HPV vaccine (72%), they had low knowledge of it (62%), which had an impact on how well-liked it was and resulted in low utilization of the HPV vaccine. Low (30%) acceptance of HPV has been documented, with most people being resistant (54%) because of socio-cultural factors. The study also reported a correlation between socio-cultural factors and religion at a p value of 0.01. The two factors being key obstacles in acceptability of HPV vaccine among guardians. In conclusion, despite the participants having substantial awareness levels, the low uptake of the HPV vaccine has been credited to low knowledge and socio-cultural beliefs, despite the availability of healthcare services and staff with adequate training. In order to better inform the community about HPV infection, the HPV vaccine, and cervical cancer, it was advised by the study that the Ministry of Health work with the County Government and increase community education efforts. The study recognized the value of medical staff in raising community awareness of health issues related to internationalization as well as educating spiritual leaders about HPV infection in order to reach a larger audience