LSG begins HPV vaccine campaign: visits markets and hard to reach areas

To improve public knowledge of the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer prevention, emphasising self-care practices, the Lagos State Government is taking HPV Vaccine Awareness and Uptake to market places and red sports in Lagos State.

The essence is to strengthen community engagement and participation in healthcare decisions and build trust in vaccination programmes.

Delivering a goodwill message explaining the Pathfinder Project, which is “Enhancing HPV Vaccine Awareness and Uptake in Nigeria?” Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Pathfinder International Lagos State Consultant, Barrister Ayo Adebusoye, explained that “the two-year project is to boost awareness and increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine, focussing on Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna states, so to achieve the mandate, it has to be taken to the grassroots, including the hard-to-reach areas.”.

He enumerated the key activities of the project, which include advocacy, education and information campaigns, school-based programmes, outreaches, media engagement, and community engagement.

“Fostering partnerships and collaboration with organisations such as the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) and the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) will help to expand the scope “. Barrister stated

Adding to that, “the project will identify effective strategies and best practices for future vaccination while documenting the learning from HPV vaccination advocacy and self-care awareness efforts.”.

On his part, the Immunisation Programme Coordinator for Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Adetola Akinpelu, said the state government will integrate OPV, measles, yellow fever, HPV, and RI vaccines in zero-dose local government areas of the state from October 5, 2024.

To this end, it has set up the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, HPV and Supplemental Immunization Activity Technical Working Group to develop and implement a robust strategy for effective Routinization of the vaccine to reduce the burden of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.

Akinpelu said, and I quote, “The exercise requires a staggering amount of human, material, and financial resources to reach the target population,” noting that Lagos State intends to sustain HPV routinisation through intensified stakeholder engagement.”.

Also, the Director of Health Education and Promotion, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Grace Honfor, said plans were underway for community re-engagement to address misconceptions and capture eligible girls for vaccination.

“From January next year, only nine-year-old girls would be vaccinated, hence the need for sensitisation to capture those that are over nine years old in the next round of the vaccination.”. Hanford

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, introduced the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine using a phased approach in October 2023.

Julie Ekong.