Kano To Vaccinate 1.5m Girls Against Cervical Cancer

The Kano State government has flagged off a mass vaccination campaign against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that courses cervical cancer across the 44 local government areas of the state.

Flagging off the campaign yesterday, the state’s commissioner for health, Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said more than 1,550,000 girls between the ages of 9 and 14 would be immunized during the five-day campaign.

He said Kano is one of the 16 states in Nigeria that are in the first phase of the nationwide exercise where 7.7 million girls aged 9-14 years would be immunised.

The commissioner the vaccine is highly effective in preventing infection with HPV types 16 and 18 that are known to cause at least 70 percent of cervical cancer.

“In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths among women aged between 15 and 44 years.

“In 2020, available data showed that the country recorded 12,000 cases and 8,000 deaths from cervical cancer.

“The mass vaccination campaign is designed to take place in schools and communities including places of worships using temporary fixed posts. It is hoped that the vaccine will later be incorporated into routine immunisation schedules within health facilities.

“To prove that the vaccine is safe and effective, I commence the vaccination campaign by vaccinating my nine year old daughter as you can see,” the commissioner stated.

There were goodwill messages from various stakeholders including the  Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), UNICEF, religious and traditional leaders as well as the women affairs ministry in the state.

The stakeholders not only expressed commitment to the exercise, but also promised synergy towards its success.