The Enugu State Government has announced that it will introduce free Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination, otherwise known as Cervical Cancer vaccination, in the state soon.
The Director of Administration and Supplies in Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Mrs Blessing Okenwa, disclosed this in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday.
The free HPV vaccination is tentatively scheduled to be kicked-off in the state on September 25th and will be a statewide campaign. The injectable vaccination will be given to female children between the ages of nine and 14, who are within the primary and post-primary school ages. This program is organized in such a way that school teachers will be part of the team members and in collaboration with other stakeholders.
The proposed vaccine when introduced will reduce the health and disease burden on families and individual female children, as well as check the increasing rate of cervical cancer among women in society. Currently, private/commercial hospitals in the state charge as much as N20,000 for the HPV vaccines.
This initiative by the Enugu State Government is a commendable step towards improving the health and well-being of its citizens. It is hoped that other states will follow suit and introduce similar programs to help combat cervical cancer and other preventable diseases.
