A Non Governmental Organisation, Women Advocates for Vaccine Access WAVA, in partnership with civil society organisations have held a training for civil society organizations in Nigeria to drive advocacy on the introduction of Human Papilloma Virus Vaccines HPV for Nigerian girls, age nine to fourteen.
At the WAVA HPV Champions launch held in Abuja Nigeria, chairperson of WAVA, Dr. Chizoba Wonodi emphasized the importance of vaccines in preventing, containing and curing diseases.
Wonodi noted that HPV vaccines are meant to prevent cancer and WAVA is out to mobilize and drum up support for the vaccine.
In his submission, Dr. Bassey Okposin of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said the introduction of the Vaccine will protect Nigerian girls from being infected with HPV.
He noted that though the vaccine could also be taken by boys, the roll out will start with girls due to their susceptibility to cervical cancer, assuring that at a later date, after the roll out, boys would also enjoy the same privilege to protect everyone from all cancers related to the HPV.
“95% of cervical cancer cases are traced to Human Papilloma Virus, over 85% of adults in the world must have contacted HPV in their life time, as Twelve Thousand and Seventy Five out of Seventy Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Nine documented cases of cancer in Nigeria are Cervical cancer.
“The introduction of this vaccine will be a game changer as it will keep our women and girls safe,” Okposin stated.
In a panel session spotlighting Cervical Cancer, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, Founder, Medicaid Cancer Foundation credited consistent advocacy and the support of government, Civil Society Organisations and development partners who supported the drive to save Nigerian women for the success of all the efforts culminating in the soon to be rolled out vaccination.
Professor Cyril Dim of University of Nigeria Nsukka Teaching Hospital pointed out that every minute, two women die of cervical cancer caused by a rare complication of HPV which could be prevented by the vaccination of girls ages 9-14, early detection and cure and surgery and radiation.
“We cannot continue to be in a world where boys in developed countries have recieved the vaccine over 7 years ago,” Dim Said.
Denise Ejoh a Nigerian woman living with cancer while reliving her cancer journey said surviving cancer is thirty percent about treatment and Seventy Percent about everthing else especially finances, support from loved ones and mental health.
She appealed for support for cancer patients by pointing them to where to get help, finances and counseling.
The free HPV vaccine for Nigerian girls from age nine to fourteen will be rolled out on 25th September 2023 in Nigeria.
Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide.
