Ghana Health Service set to roll out HPV vaccination exercise

The Ghana Health Service is calling on the public to support the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign scheduled for October 7 to 11. Director-General Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea has urged parents and guardians to embrace the initiative, emphasizing its importance in safeguarding the health and future of their children. Close to 3 million girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years are expected to receive the vaccines that seek to protect young girls against cervical cancer.

“More than 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in Ghana. It is the most common cancer in women after breast cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women, ” he noted.

He further encouraged all to support the HPV vaccine roll out to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. Ghana’s introduction of the HPV vaccine from October 7 to 11 plus the routenization of the vaccine marks a crucial step towards protecting adolescent girls from cervical cancer.

In highlighting a significant step towards combating cervical cancer in Ghana, the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and the Pediatric Society of Ghana, has organized a sensitization workshop on the introduction of the HPV vaccine. The workshop aimed to engage stakeholders and the media on the upcoming nationwide rollout of the HPV vaccine, emphasizing its crucial role in preventing cervical cancer and promoting adolescent health. President of the Pediatric Society of Ghana Dr Hilda Boye underscored the importance of the vaccine in improving the quality of life of children, urging all to embrace it.

‘’it’s a good thing and we can only be glad it’s finally here in Ghana to protect the young girls. The protection is important against cervical cancer. Eventually as we start this implementation, we will continue to advocate for the male child to be added. For now, we want everyone to understand that the vaccine is safe and good and it’s here to protect the children. So, they should accept it’’ she said.

The WHO country Representative Dr Fiona Braka is optimistic that Ghana is well positioned to win the fight against elimination of cervical cancer by 2030.

“We’re optimistic that Ghana will meet the 90-70-90 strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. The HPV vaccine is safe, and it’s not new – it’s been in use for over a decade. With 140 countries globally rolling out the vaccine, Ghana joins 28 African countries in making it a routine part of immunization.”

Programme Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization, Dr. Selorm Kutsoati says all is set for the campaign to begin on October 7. She said they have begun the distribution of the vaccines to the various regions for onward distribution to the districts ahead of the exercise. Cervical cancer is a significant health concern in Ghana, and prevention through vaccination is a key strategy for elimination. The Ghana Health Service and Pediatric Society of Ghana are working closely with the WHO to ensure a successful rollout.

Source: 3news.com