The Kwara State Government has announced plans to vaccinate 311,000 girls between the ages of nine and 14 against the Human Papilloma Virus.
A Director of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Michael Oguntoye, made this known on Sunday in Ilorin on the sidelines of an engagement with media stakeholders, noting that the exercise would begin on May 27 and will last for five days.
The event was organised by John Snow Incorporated, with support from the HPV Vaccine Acceleration Programme Partners Initiative Consortium, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Oguntoye said that the vaccination exercise was initiated by the Federal Government, with support from JSI, HAPPI and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to him, the five-day campaign, which would be inaugurated by the wife of Kwara Governor, Dr Olufolake AbdulRazaq, would target both schools and out-of-school girls.
“The HPV vaccine will be available across all primary health care facilities in the state. The vaccine is safe, efficacious and is not an attempt to reduce population or family planning strategy,” he said.
The Social Mobilisation Officer, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Dupe Shittu, described HPV as a group of viruses that could infect the genital areas of both men and women.
She explained that while many HPV infections go away on their own, certain strains of the virus could lead to more serious health issues.
“One of the most concerning outcomes of persistent HPV infection is cervical cancer.
“Cervical cancer affects women globally, and sadly, Nigeria is no exception.
“Our nation carries a heavy burden of cervical cancer cases, impacting the lives of our mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives,” she said.
According to her, the commonest mode of transmission was through sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex.s
She explained that the virus can be passed from one person to another even if there are no visible signs of infection or symptoms.
Also speaking, the Social and Behavioural Change Communication Officer, JSI, Mr Kannath Ibrahim, urged against misinformation about the disease.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Combating Misinformation, Myths, Debunking and Pre-Bunking Rumours, Prevalent, Rumours and Misconception’, he explained that rumours, when unchecked or addressed, lead to misinformation.
(NAN)