Health

Human Papilloma Virus: Misconceptions, Facts

By Web News 237

By Moses Morenikeji

Does Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine lead to depopulation? Will it encourage promiscuity among girls?

Does it have adverse effects?

These are among questions addressed at a two day Media Dialogue on “Combating the Most Preventable Form of Deadly Cancer Affecting Women and Girls (HPV) through Vaccination” held in Lagos recently.

Addressing these issues, the Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) Specialist, UNICEF, Lagos Field Office, Mrs. Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, described all these as mere rumours and misconceptions which she said are unfounded.

She attributed low uptake of the HPV vaccine to misinformation, saying this has militated against the objective of the. HPV vaccination campaign.

The SBC Specialist therefore called on the media to champion the awareness to demystify misconceptions about the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination in order to increase the uptake of the vaccine. 

Akinola-Akinwole noted that the media could stop the spread of rumours on the vaccine by providing correct and adequate messages and facts consistently.

According to her, these rumours were only meant to rob women the benefits of taking the vaccine which was to tackle cervical cancer in women.

“If these misconceptions are not addressed, it can lead to total rejection of the vaccine and consequently increase the outbreak of vaccine -preventable diseases,” Akinola-Akinwole submitted.

In a presentation, a Health Specialist, UNICEF, Lagos Field Office, Dr. Ijeoma Agbo, maintained that HPV was the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract and responsible for more than 95% cases of cervical cancer.

The Health Specialist, who hinted that  cervical cancer was the second most common cancer in Nigeria after the breast cancer, said the objective of the HPV vaccination campaign was to ensure that 80% of girls between 9-14 years were vaccinated by December 2024.

“Nigeria has put in efforts to reduce morbidity due to HPV so that on the long run, we can reduce high incidence and prevalence of cervical cancer,” the Health Specialist stated.

She listed Lagos, Ogun and Osun States as some of the South West states that took part of the exercise when the first phase of the vaccine was launched last year.

Dr Agbo stated that the second phase of the vaccination programme would be launched on Monday, May 27, 2024 in 21 states including Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states.

She gave the public assurance of safety of the vaccine, adding that it is free for beneficiaries who are girls of ages 9 – 14 years.

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Health

HPV Vaccine is Safe – Minister

By Web News 5136

Consequent upon the rumour making rounds that some vaccines are killing people, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, has given Nigerians assurance that the Human PapillomaVirus, HPV vaccine, aimed at preventing cervical cancer is safe.

Dr Alausa gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen after a courtesy call on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Lagos House, Marina, on Wednesday.

“HPV vaccine is 100 per cent safe,” the minister said, adding, “This is a vaccine that has been in existence for about 18 years now, and Nigeria is late to adopt this vaccine.”

He noted that Nigeria had about 8,000 women “dying from cervical cancer” today, stressing that “this vaccine will prevent cervical cancer by 95 per cent.”

He appealed that girls between the ages of 9 and 15 years should be encouraged to take the vaccine, adding that some countries are already administering the vaccine to women up to 45 years old.

“It is a safe vaccine. We should encourage all our young girls between the ages of nine and 15 years to get this vaccine. In fact, in other parts of the world, the HPV vaccine has been expanded to be administered to women as old as 45 years.

“It saves lives, it prevents cancer. This is one of the preventive things we could do to help our healthcare system,” he said.

Alausa added, “So, let me emphatically say it again: HPV vaccine, the Human PapillomaVirus vaccine is 100 per cent safe. I’m a physician. I’m a father. I have a daughter and she got the vaccine when she was 13 years old and that was about 13 years ago.

“So, I’m putting my mouth where my money is; HPV vaccine is safe. Please, discount any ignorant, uneducated social media information you get. HPV vaccine is safe.”

The Human Papilloma Virus, HPV Vaccine, was rolled out IN Abuja on Tuesday by the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Meanwhile, schoolgirls aged 9 to 14 years on Thursday received the Human Papillomavirus vaccine at the Junior Secondary School, Asokoro, Abuja.

The vaccination targets over seven million girls, which is the largest number in a single round of HPV vaccination in the African region.

The  girls aged 9 to 14 years will receive a single dose of the vaccine, which prevents HPV types 16 and 18, known to cause at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

Culled/Adebukola Aluko

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Health

HPV Vaccine Enters into Nigeria’s Immunisation Schedule September

By Web News 978

By Bukola Bardi

Nigeria is to introduce human papilloma virus, HPV, Vaccine into its routine immunisation schedule by September this year to stem the tide of cervical cancer in the country.

The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib announced this in Akure at the opening of the quarterly review meeting of Southwest zone traditional leaders’ Committee on primary healthcare.

Dr Shuaib lamented that cervical cancer was cutting short the lives of many promising women and girls hence the need to make the HPV Vaccine available for girls between nine and fourteen years at at no cost.

He noted that traditional rulers, being the closest to the people should assist the federal government by encouraging people to access primary health care services especially on preventable diseases.

Dr. Faisal Shuaib, revealed that from January to June 2023, a total of 189,310 children in the Southwest zone lack access to or were never reached by any routine immunization.

He explained that the meeting was aimed at promoting an effective primary health care delivery to the people of the Southwest in particular and Nigeria in general.

His words: “These children are referred to as zero dose children. Notably, Lagos has the highest count, with 79,279 zero dose children, followed by Oyo State with 53,812 children, Ondo with 30,280 children, Osun with 19,737 children, Ogun with 3,204 children, and finally Ekiti with 2,998 children who have never received any form of vaccination effort.

Ondo State Acting Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa while declaring open the meeting said the pivotal role played by traditional rulers in healthcare delivery system were yielding results especially in the ares of routine immunisation as well as maternal and child health.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi disclosed that traditional rulers in the Southwest were working closely with the federal government to ensure that Nigerians have access to quality healthcare.

Oba Ogunwusi promised that the meeting would review ways of strengthening the nation’s health system with specific attention to resurgence of polio which the country had fully eradicated.

The Chairman, Ondo State Traditional Council and Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo appealed to the federal government to make primary health care service more accessible to people at the grassroots to reduce cases of child killer diseases.

At the end of the quarterly review meeting, the monarchs are expected to come up with more advocacy and sensitisation plans for the development of primary healthcare in the country.

The meeting was attended by twenty-four traditional rulers from the six Southwest states.

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group