In a concerted effort to reduce the mortality rate of women in Nigeria’s North Central region, the Federal Government has launched a vaccination campaign for girls aged 9 to 14 in secondary schools, targeting the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is responsible for cervical cancer.
HPV, a leading cause of premature deaths among Nigerian women, is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract, primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Most individuals are infected with HPV shortly after becoming sexually active.
At the flag-off ceremony for the HPV vaccination in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Friday, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), emphasized that the goal of the initiative is to eradicate cervical cancer in the North Central region and across the country.
Represented by Musa Mutiu-Terere, Senior Scientific Officer at NICRAT, Prof. Aliyu expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to reducing the HPV-related mortality rate among young girls and women in the region.
He said, “This event is necessary considering the devastating effects of HPV in the lives of women. This also shows the commitment of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to halt cervical cancer, thereby improving the health status of our women in particular and Nigerians in general.
“The decision of the NICRAT to target secondary schools for implementation of this program is deliberate, considering the number of the beneficiaries involved. To achieve maximum outcome, we have, therefore, resolved to take the vaccination to all secondary schools across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria in the first phase.”
The NICRAT Director-General highlighted that plans are in place to expand the vaccination campaign to religious centers and marketplaces in the coming weeks. He also praised the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency for its significant support in ensuring the success of the vaccination program across the country.
“Therefore, I urge our daughters in various schools to present themselves for vaccination in order to prevent themselves from cervical cancer and also to justify the huge investment that the government is making to safeguard their health. We also expect schools to make good arrangements and ensure that every female student within the target age bracket is vaccinated,” he added.
On his part, the executive secretary of the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Usman Iskilu Saleh, urged all young females in the state between the ages of 9 and 14 years to take the vaccination exercise very seriously, noting that it is a life-saving opportunity that would guarantee good health for them both now and in the future.
While assuring that the vaccine is safe for use, Saleh affirmed that when administered, the vaccine would help to prevent young females from the agony and suffering that many women had experienced as a result of cervical cancer in the future.
Earlier in her speech, Bilqisu Hussaini, a representative of the World Health Organisation, thanked NICRAT for bringing the HPV vaccination program to schools in the region. She urged parents and guardians to ensure their female children participate in the initiative to safeguard their health in the future.
Other key stakeholders at the HPV vaccination flag-off included Jessica Philip, Director of Nutrition at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education; Beatrice Osi, Acting State Coordinator of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency; and Hauwa Kaura, Representative of the Health Secretary, Lafia LGA. All pledged to offer their full support to NICRAT to ensure the success of the vaccination program.
