The Stakeholders’ Summit on Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria (SSCCEN) has launched a national essay competition focused on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as a proactive measure to combat misinformation surrounding the virus in the country.
The innovative competition, a prelude to the upcoming summit, seeks to empower adolescent girls by positioning them at the forefront of raising awareness about HPV and cervical cancer while also aiming to debunk myths surrounding the HPV vaccine, ensuring accurate information reaches the public.
Conceptualised by the Youth Engagement Committee of SSCCEN and chaired by Peace Shalom of the National Directorate of the Technical Office on Cancer Awareness and Advocacy (TOCAA), the essay competition is an innovative tool to boost HPV vaccine awareness considering that cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in Nigeria, leading to over 7,000 preventable deaths annually.
Ishak Lawal, Secretary of the Scientific Committee of SSCCEN, emphasized in a statement on Monday that raising awareness about HPV, which is primarily administered to adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer later in life, is crucial, adding that achieving the desired impact among the target demographic depends on the effectiveness of awareness efforts.
According to him, reports from the field showed widespread vaccine hesitancy, fueled largely by misinformation and misconceptions, making empowering the community with accurate information the cornerstone of dispelling myths and misconceptions.
The HPV vaccine was recently introduced into Nigeria’s routine immunization program in line with the WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative (CCEI), which prescribed three targets to achieve cervical cancer elimination: 90% of adolescent girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine, 70% of eligible women are screened for pre-invasive lesions of the cervix, and 90% of cervical cancer cases are appropriately treated.
Themed ‘Empowering Families and Youth: HPV Vaccination as a Pathway to Prevent Cervical Cancer and Foster Positive Health Discussions,’ he said the 2024 essay competition is expected to stimulate the youth to actively seek the right information about HPV, thereby empowering them with the knowledge to counter misinformation.
He said the panel of judges was drawn from a wide range of stakeholders, including cancer civil society organizations (CSO), the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery), and the Ministries of Education, Health, and Youth.
Furthermore, he said the awards would be presented to the winners of the essay competition on 21st November 2024, during the opening ceremony of the 2nd Stakeholders’ Summit on Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria.
Stating that the summit was conceptualized by End Cervical Cancer Nigeria Initiative (ECCNI), a non-governmental organization, he noted that it is being led by the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE), a ministerial committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Read Also: NLCC tasks government to remove financial obstacles in cancer treatment
The 15-member committee, chaired by former Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, with Prof. Sani Malami as the secretary, was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, on 19th August 2024.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami, and the President of the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), Dr. Adamu Alhassan, serve as advisors to the Stakeholders’ Summit.
Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, a global cancer advocate and a third-term member of the board of directors of the International Union for Cancer Control (UICC), is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second Stakeholders’ Summit on 21st November at the NAF Conference Center, Abuja.
Eligible girls are encouraged to participate in the essay competition through https://forms.gle/tgwjL79SdTo5759Q7.