Addis Ababa Health Bureau (AAHB) has launched a cervical cancer prevention vaccine (HPV) campaign for teenagers aged 14.

At the launching program held yesterday, AAHB Head Yohannes Chala (MD) said that the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) which prevents cervical cancer launched in Addis Ababa from March 4 to 8, 2024, for only teenage girls aged 14 years.

It is planned to vaccinate 31,485 teenage girls in the vaccine campaign so that 142 vaccination teams are organized and deployed to make it accessible in schools, he stated.

The vaccine is also accessible at any health facility thereby the girls who currently are out of schools could be vaccinated in their nearby health institutions, he added.

AAHB is toiling efforts to prevent cervical cancer considering the multifaceted problems the disease is causing to women and the society, according to the Head.

Yohannes stressed that cervical cancer is mainly caused by sexually transmitted human papilloma virus and it is the second most dangerous and fatal disease in Ethiopia after breast cancer.

This year, as to the Head, girls aged 14 learning in 820 schools in the city will be vaccinated.

Addis Ababa Education Bureau Head Zelalem Mulatu (PhD) on his part said that since cervical cancer is a serious health threat, giving the vaccine to teenage girls will greatly contribute to the process of producing a responsible and healthy generation.

Appreciating the Health Bureau for its support to make universal health services accessible in schools, Zelalem called on all educational leadership professionals and the community to play their part to improve the accessibility of the vaccine.

In Ethiopia, 5,000 women die of cervical cancer every year and studies show that four out of five women over the age of 14 are exposed to the virus that causes cervical cancer in their lifetime.