FG SET TO INTRODUCE HPV VACCINES SEPTEMBER 25

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On September 25, 2023, the Human Papillomavirus vaccine will be made available, according to the federal government, to prevent cervical cancer in women and girls.

At the bi-annual review conference of religious leaders on the provision of primary healthcare in Abuja on Monday, the FG made this information public.

According to the government, giving the HPV vaccine to girls between the ages of nine and fifteen will protect them from developing cervical cancer.

One form of cancer that affects the cells of the cervix is cervical cancer. A sexually transmitted infection called HPV, which has several different strains, is involved in the majority of cervical cancer cases.

More than 90% of malignancies linked to HPV might be avoided with the HPV vaccine.

Two HPV types (16 and 18), which are prevalent in Nigeria, are considered by the World Health Organisation to be the cause of over 50% of high-grade cervical pre-cancers. An estimated 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in Nigeria, and 7,968 women pass away from the disease.

Speaking at the review meeting, Dr. Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stressed the importance of combining spiritual and scientific knowledge and abilities to address health issues. Dr. Emmanuel Odu served as Dr. Pate’s senior special adviser.

He said, “I acknowledge the contributions of our faith-based community to healthcare delivery in the country, as we are aware that some of our religious organisations provide healthcare services at the primary, secondary, and even tertiary healthcare levels. This is most commendable, and I urge you to keep it up, as the government alone cannot do it.

“The FG under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, is determined to change the narrative by making health affordable and accessible to all Nigerians. We will therefore need the support of the faith community as we roll out the FG’s agenda for the health of our people. We will be relying on your influence to build trust and enhance community ownership of all our health interventions.”

In his remarks, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, urged religious leaders to support efforts to educate their flocks about the free HPV vaccination, dispel myths and misconceptions about the vaccine, and motivate their followers to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Shuaib said, “On September 25 this year, we will be introducing the HPV vaccine that prevents cervical cancer when given to our daughters between the ages of nine and 15 years.

“In your roles as spiritual guides, you own the power to influence hearts and minds, and your words carry weight and inspire action. I urge you to join hands today with the medical community in championing the course of HPV vaccination nationwide. By encouraging HPV vaccination within your congregations, you become advocates of life and guardians of health. HPV vaccination is more than a medical breakthrough, but a testament to our unity and the sanctity of life.”

The President of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sultan Abubakar III, said, “When we are talking about the health issues of our people, first and foremost, you must talk about how to feed the common man. Without food, no drug will work. Government must face this reality, and if care is not taken, it will be worse next year. I am not predicting, but we have to work on ourselves because of the issues we see on the ground.

“We have full hope that we will get out of the woods. We are not losing hope. I am not campaigning for Asiwaju’s Renewed Hope, but we must have hope in what the Almighty Allah can do for us, but we must do for ourselves.

“This forum will review all health issues, successes, failures, and what must be done. We are ready to do the needful. The government can count on us – traditional and religious leaders. We believe in telling the people what the government is doing. If the government does anything right, we clap for them, and if they do anything wrong, we caution them not to go that way.”

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who was represented by Rev. Joseph added the religious body is delighted that primary health care is beginning to get the kind of attention it deserves.

“More importantly, religious leaders are given the opportunity to dialogue by way of review about what is happening in this particular sector of our national lives. Even on health issues, a lot of Nigerians still prefer to listen to their religious leaders before listening to their doctors, even the government.

“Our places of worship have been used for sensitisation, for administering vaccines, and our health facilities have been in collaboration with the government for a very long time now, especially for primary health care.

“With initiatives like this, we are optimistic that improved healthcare will be made accessible, especially those in the rural areas.”