--- Intensify efforts on HPV vaccination among girls
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for an aggressive advocacy in the vaccination of girls against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in order to battle the risk of cervical cancer.
UNICEF described the prioritisation of HPV vaccination as a crucial public health intervention.
It equally harped on the need for communities as well as religious institutions to key into the drive.
Speaking on the 'Update on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Introduction Plan, a Health Specialist with UNICEF, at a two day media dialogue workshop,Dr. Ijeoma Agbo, said that " with girls aged 9 to 14, targets for the vaccine, an estimate of 604,000 new cases with 342,000 deaths occurred globally in 2020, while 12,075 cases and 7968 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
The two-day media dialogue workshop tagged "Combating the most preventable form of deadly cancer affecting women and girls (HPV) Through Vaccination was held in Lagos State.
Agbo said that the vaccine protects against HPV types 16 and 18 and provides cross-protection for types 31, 33, and 35, including the serotypes causing anogenital warts.
According to her "HPV can also cause a range of conditions in men and women, including other types of anogenital cancer (vagina, vulva, anus, penis), head and neck cancers, and genital warts.
"It accounts for 29.5% of infection-related cancers globally and greater than half of all reported infection-attributable cancers in women.
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"Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally and the second most common cancer affecting women in Nigeria.
"This high burden of cervical cancer is attributed to several factors, including poor access to HPV vaccination services, poor screening and treatment services, low awareness, and inadequate access to healthcare, especially in rural areas."
Also speaking during the workshop, the Immunisation Programme Coordinator, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), Dr. Adetola Akinpelu, who reeled out the effort of the state government in the vaccine coverage in the state, stressed that the target was to vaccinate at least 80 percent of girls aged 9-14 years by December 2024.
Akinpelu said that "Achieve routine HPV coverage of at least 69 percent for girls aged 9 years by December 2025. Achieve a minimum of a 4 percent annual increase in routine HPV coverage by December 2026. Disseminate information on primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive measures across the LGAs."
The UNICEF Communication Officer, Blessing Ejiofor, said that efforts must be geared towards increased awareness, particularly at the grassroots, to promote the benefits of HPV vaccination and dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding it.
Ejiofor asked participating journalists to become active advocates by using their various platforms to draw the attention of everyone to the issue in order to achieve adequate coverage.
