Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed has said that the state has commenced preparations for the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.
The BASPHCDA EC made the disclosure during an orientation meeting held for media on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Introduction at the EOC, Bauchi.
Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed noted that Human Papillomavirus vaccination exercise is targeted at girls from 9-14 years old saying that once the vaccine is ready, the exercise will commence across the state.
According to him, the Human Papillomavirus vaccine will be administering “to ladies from 9-14 years, if it is not available, we will target 9 years old ladies only in order to give them the prevention”.
The SPHDA Executive Chairman also stated that a technical working group has been set up under his Chairmanship, stressing that they have discussed with officials of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners how to carry out the HPV vaccine.
“We hope that when we start the vaccination, we are not going to have many problems because the information has already reached members of the public”, he further explained.
Mr Mohammed further said that the Agency is going to use all forms of languages that people can understand to create awareness and pass information about the vaccine so that parents will allow their children to get vaccinated.
According to him, it has been identified that early marriage also contributes to the problem of Papillomavirus, as such, ladies from 9-14 years old are targeted for the vaccine to protect them in case they are married off early.
While Presenting a paper with the title; ‘Role of Media Practitioners in the Roll-out of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine Campaign’, State Technical Officer HPV Introduction, World Health Organization (WHO) in Bauchi, Mustapha Mai-Iyali Umar urged Journalists to be actively involved in ensuring that the vaccination exercise succeeded.
Mai-Iyali Umar called on the media to actively support the state technical working group by reporting its activities while working in synergy to develop, adapt and translate inter-education and communication (IEC) for the HPV vaccine.
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