Ensure free provision of HPV vaccines for young girls, NGO urges FG
Vaccine
By Abiodun Azi
Lagos, March 4, 2020 (NAN) An NGO, Cancer Aware Nigeria, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to ensure free provision of Human Papilomavirus (HPV) vaccine for young girls in the country.
Its Executive Director, Ms Tolulope Falowo, made the call in Lagos as the world marks the 2020 International HPV Awareness Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that March 4 is a global event to raise awareness on the HPV.
The HPV Awareness Day aims to raise awareness about the availability of prevention tools and to promote education about HPV.
It encourages governments and individuals to take action against HPV to save hundreds of thousands of women and men that can benefit from the HPV vaccine and/or screening for the early detection of cancer and treatment.
Falowo said: “Introducing a free HPV vaccine will afford the young ones who are eligible girls to have access to it.
“We are calling on the Government of Nigeria to introduce the HPV vaccine into the routine immunisation programme, so that eligible girls can have access to it.
“At least 16 other African countries have introduced HPV vaccine into their routine immunisation programme.
“Nigeria cannot be an exception, especially because we have a huge burden of cervical cancer,” she said.
According to her, currently, HPV vaccine is only available at a few private and public health institutions and at a cost that is quite expensive.
“It is between N12, 000 and N15, 000 per dose and beneficiaries will need between two and three doses,” Falowo said.
The NGO executive director said that the organisation being women’s cancer charity remains at the fore-front of a drive to educate and inform Nigerians about HPV.
“We have an ongoing advocacy campaign called the #14000Reasons HPV Vaccination Campaign.
“Since the charity launched the #14000Reasons HPV Vaccination Campaign in 2019, almost 40,000 Nigerians have signed the online petition.
“They have been asking the government to introduce the HPV vaccine, so that eligible girls can access it for free. Our aim is to get 100,000 signatures.
“In addition to this, we have also launched an e-book called HPV: Q & A Guide, an information and education resource with common questions and answers on HPV.
“We believe that with the right information, people can modify their lifestyles to prevent these HPV-related cancers,” she said.
Falowo said that the #140000Reasons HPV Vaccination Project was supported by Oak Foundation, Switzerland and local partners.
The HPV Awareness Day also establish a basis for communities, schools, clinics, universities, political and patient groups to think about what can be done to improve spreading the news and to take action.
HPV-related cancers can be prevented and this knowledge needs to be shared with all.
Everybody needs to be informed and, if adequate, to enroll in a preventive activity that will reduce the risk to develop a cancer associated with HPV. (NAN)
AGE/AWA/GOK
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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa/Olagoke Olatoye