Agency Report
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Cancer Aware Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to ensure free provision of Human Papilomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls.
Its Executive Director, Ms Tolulope Falowo, made the call in Lagos on the 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, HPV vaccine is only available at a few private and public health institutions and at an expensive price.
“It is between N12, 000 and N15, 000 per dose and beneficiaries will need between two and three doses,” Falowo said.
The NGO chief said the organisation being women’s cancer charity remains at the fore-front of a drive to educate 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.
Leave a Reply