How Community Outreach is Protecting a Generation of Girls in Mali
October 13, 2026
In collaboration with Together Women Rise, GAIA Vaccine Foundation launched a targeted HPV prevention campaign across five community centers (ASACOs) in Commune I of Bamako in 2025. Through community-led education, the project ensured families had the crucial information needed to understand HPV, its direct link to cervical cancer, and the importance of vaccinating young girls.
Community education that led to action
The impact was immediate and significant. In 2025 alone, the five participating ASACOs successfully vaccinated 6,319 young girls, nearly three times the 2,149 total vaccinated across the seven health centers without outreach support, while engaging 19,711 community members overall.
Hear their stories in their own words
The numbers tell only part of the story. In our new video, the CHWs and medical staff behind this campaign reflect on the challenges they faced, the trust they built, and what a year of working directly with communities taught them.
