FG urged to procure vaccines to redress cervical cancer

A Physiologist, Miss Love Innocent   at the Federal Medical Centre, called on the federal and Bayelsa governments to procure vaccines to reduce cases of cervical cancer deaths and complications in Bayelsa.

Innocent said during an interview in Yenagoa on Monday that vaccinating females before they become sexually active and uninfected older women can prevent the risk of cervical cancer.

She attributed the high prevalence of cancer to lack of awareness, adding that early detection through screening and tests could prevent the scourge.

Innocent, a corps member noted that the Human Papilla Virus (HPV) vaccine used for treatment of cancer and research was readily available in the country, but regretted that the vaccine was yet to be stocked by any health facility in Bayelsa.

She said that available statistics showed that cervical cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death among women in Bayelsa and the nation at large.

“The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is known to be involved in the development of more than 90 per cent of cases.

“It is estimated that the vaccines protects against 70 per cent of cervical cancer, 80 per cent of anal cancer, 60 per cent of vaginal cancer, 40 per cent of vulva cancer and some types of mouth cancer “she said.

She explained that massive and widespread vaccination has the potential to reduce cervical cancer deaths by as much as two-third if all women took the vaccine.

“The vaccine is administered to women who are not sexually active between nine and 16 years and older women who are not infected by the human papilloma virus “she said.

Innocent urged Federal and state governments to provide the HPV vaccines for the younger women to curb the increasing death rate related to cervical cancer in the country.