Bauchi, 15 other states to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer

IT has been observed that incidence of cancer of the cervix is worrisomely on the increase among women in Nigeria and is the second most common after breast cancer.

The executive chairman, Bauchi State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, made the disclosure while inaugurating the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Technical Working Group.

He said that Bauchi is among the 16 states in the country selected for the first phase of the introduction of the HPV vaccine for girls aged nine to 14 years to fight the disease.

Rilwanu Mohammed said that the introduction of the HPV vaccine into the immunization programme is Nigeria’s primary prevention strategy for cervical cancer.

According to him, “Cancer of the cervix is on the increase among women in Nigeria and is the second most common after breast cancer. These figures are worrisome and the introduction of the HPV vaccine will prevent our girls from contracting the disease in the near future.”

The executive chairman declared that the HPV Technical Working Group will focus on the coordination of the pre-introduction, introduction and post-introduction processes as well as the decision making for the smooth introduction of the HPV vaccine.

Rilwanu Mohammed urged the Technical Working Group to create the required awareness among the society on the importance of the vaccine.

Giving an update on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine introduction, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) in the agency, Dr Jibreel Muhammad, said that HPV types 16 & 18 cause at least 70% of all cases of cancer in the cervix.

He added that HPV can also affect areas like the anus, vulva, vagina and penis.

“There are increasing cases of cancer of the cervix which can be prevented. Our girls engage in sexual activities as early as less than 15 years (NDIS 2018) and that is the justification for the introduction of the vaccine.”

Rilwanu Muhammad added that Bauchi State was selected for phase one because it has a high rate of teenage marriages according to the Health Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 2021.

“Our girls need this HPV vaccine because the cost of managing cancer of the cervix is very expensive in Nigeria,” he said.

The HPV vaccine will be administered on girls aged nine to 14 years old who are in or out of schools across the state.

Giving an update on the disease, Programme Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre (SERICC), Dr Jibreel Omar Muhammad, who is also the Director Planning Research and Statistics said that 19% of women initiate sexual intercourse by age 15 which increases risk of HPV infection.

Explaining the strategies for targeted groups, Dr Muhammad said that only girls of nine years will be targeted in the fixed health facilities according to plans for the exercise.

He added that, also, those girls aged nine to14 years who were missed during the campaigns will be eligible to get the vaccines from the health facilities closest to them based on the global guidance on single dose, and vaccine availability of Gardasil.

The religious leaders in the state were therefore called upon to engage in more enlightenment and the formation of similar Technical Working Groups in the 20 local government areas of the state.

Sometime this year, the Federal Government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) conducted an assessment to understand the level of the spread of cervical cancer mostly found in women of reproductive age.