Let’s all support HPV vaccine rollout

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common viral infection that can be spread through sexual contact.

The virus causes cervical cancer, genital warts, cancer of the vagina, anus, the vulvar, among others.

The only way of ensuring that young people do not get infected from a young age through to adulthood when they become sexually active is through vaccination.

The HPV vaccine is the surest way to protect them as it has been proven to be safe and effective in preventing cervical cancer, with over 140 countries having already included the vaccine in their national routine.

The vaccine is routinely recommended for as young as nine years old.

The HPV vaccine has several benefits, including preventing cancer by preventing HPV infections, reducing the risk of cervical and other cancers, as well as reducing genital warts, which are caused by low-risk HPV types.

It also gives herd protection as widespread vaccination can protect unvaccinated individuals by reducing the prevalence of HPV in the population.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. About 604,000 new cases and 341,800 deaths are recorded per year globally.

Studies show that 99 per cent of cervical cancer cases are linked to high-risk HPV strains, which are among the common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide.

In Ghana, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women.

Each year, about 3,000 women in the country are diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by HPV.

It is estimated that 2,000 women die out of the 3,000 annually.

Health experts have said that by getting vaccinated, individuals can protect themselves and their communities from the risks associated with HPV.

The good news is that the HPV vaccine will be rolled out nationwide to protect young girls from this preventable disease.

In this exercise, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is targeting 2.2 million girls with a single dose of the HPV vaccine (See Daily Graphic, Saturday, June 21, 2025, page 16). 

The one-week intensive national immunisation campaign is scheduled for September this year.

The vaccine would be offered free of charge as a routine vaccine for girls turning nine years in the country through the national routine immunisation programme, and would reinforce the country's commitment to safeguard the health of the people.

The country initially introduced the HPV vaccine in 2013 through a pilot programme in the Greater Accra, Central and Northern regions.

It is worth noting that last week, the government took delivery of the full complement of HPV vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer in the country.

The initial delivery of 441,860 doses marks the beginning of the nationwide rollout exercise. UNICEF Ghana, the lead agency responsible for procuring and shipping the vaccines, said over the coming weeks, it would deliver more than 2.5 million doses of the HPV vaccine.

The Daily Graphic commends the government and stakeholders, including UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for bringing the vaccine into the country.

We call on the implementing stakeholders, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), GHS and the Ministry of Health, to ensure that the vaccination exercise is carried out successfully. It will be beneficial to promote awareness of the importance of the HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention in communities.

The paper would like to urge the implementers to also ensure that the vaccination exercise reaches all girls who need it to ensure a healthy future for our girls into adulthood.

We also call on parents, guardians and caregivers to avail their wards for the vaccination for their own protection in the future, as the vaccine, according to health experts, has been proven to prevent up to 70 per cent of cervical cancers. 

The paper further commends the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for its rigorous testing of the vaccine before its approval.