The Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and partners have launched a nationwide campaign to vaccinate 2.5 million girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer.
The vaccination exercise was launched on Wednesday, and it aims to vaccinate girls between the ages of 9 and 14 against cervical cancer.
“Let me assure you that this HPV vaccine is safe, it is effective, and Ghana is not the first country to administer HPV vaccines. At best, we are joining other African countries like Rwanda, like South Africa, like Botswana, and this vaccine has been approved by our FDA and WHO,” Health Minister Kwabena Mintah-Akandoh said at the launch.
He also said: “Lets all support it because it is going to be part of our routine immunization programme. So after today, this very one, we are targeting not less than 2.5 million girls, and subsequently, it would be part of our routine immunization.”
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Ghana, and the fourth most common cancer in women globally. According to the Ghana Health Service, over 3,000 women in Ghana are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with only about 40% surviving.
The Health Service says the vaccines will offer strong protection when given before any exposure to HPV.