In 2009, when the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was being introduced in Kenya, Purity Munyoro, 17, then, now 32, got vaccinated. Her mother, a medical doctor, had heard about the pilot programme in Kitui County and insisted she takes the jab. At the time, Purity did not understand the fuss around it, but she trusted her mother’s decision.

“I wasn’t even sure what HPV was,” Purity recalled. “But my mother took me to the wards to show me women suffering from cervical cancer. That visual stayed with me.”

Today, she stands as an HPV advocate, using her voice to amplify awareness and push for wider uptake of the vaccine that protects against cervical cancer.