Objective:

To describe HPV vaccine program implementation, monitoring and evaluation experiences in Latin America.

Materials and methods:

We reviewed published articles in peer-reviewed journals and reports from government websites, as well as the PAHO/WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting form and the ICO/IARC HPV Information Centre database.

Results:

By December 2016, 13 countries/territories in Latin America (56%) have introduced HPV vaccines. The majority have done so in the past three years, targeting 10-12 year old girls with a two dose schedule, through school programs. Vaccine coverage ranges from 30 to 87%. Safety monitoring is well established, but monitoring vaccine impact is not, and data are not available.

Conclusions:

Although Latin America is the most advanced developing region with HPV vaccine introduction, systems for its monitoring are weak and there is a paucity of consistently available coverage data for this vaccine. Challenges remain to introduce HPV vaccines in several countries, to achieve high coverage, and to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

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