Cervical cancer: ‘Seven million girls vaccinated in two weeks’

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said seven million Nigerian girls have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus in two weeks.

Gavi, which announced this in a press statement on Wednesday, stated that the significant milestone was a critical step in protecting girls from cervical cancer later in life.

The Federal Government on October 24, 2023, introduced the first phase of the HPV vaccine into the routine immunisation system, targeting over seven million girls between the ages of nine and 14.

The first phase encompassed 16 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate said about 4.95 million girls aged nine to 14 were vaccinated against the HPV in the first phase of the vaccination.

The second phase which began on May 27, encompassed the remaining states – Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that has a silent harbinger of several types of cancers, including cervical cancer.

According to the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in Nigeria and the second most frequent cancer death among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

In 2020, The Global Cancer Observatory estimated that over 12,000 cervical cancer cases are diagnosed annually in Nigeria. Introducing the HPV vaccine into the routine immunisation schedule is critical to preventing HPV infections, a primary cause of cervical cancer.

“In October 2023, Gavi partnered with the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations Children’s Fund to introduce the HPV vaccine into the national immunisation programme.

“Building on this success, Gavi further expanded its collaboration with Girl Effect in May 2024 to focus on reaching girls with critical information and ensuring vaccine access,” Gavi’s Gavi’s statement read partly.

Gavi noted that by vaccinating seven million girls in just two weeks, Nigeria has made significant progress towards its goal of reaching 16 million girls by 2025.

The Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, Dr Sani Nishtar stated, “This achievement is a testament to the tremendous collaboration between Gavi, the Nigerian government, and our partners. By prioritising girls’ health, we are empowering a generation and helping to save countless lives.”