The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it is set to commence the second phase of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination.
HPV vaccines prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause a range of conditions in men and women, such as cervical cancer.
The Director of disease control and immunization at NPHCDA, Rufai Garba, announced the planned vaccination in Abuja on at a one-day sensitisation meeting with women’s religious groups.
He stated that public sensitisation for the vaccination was important to checkmate misinformation, urging the women to allow their girls; from ages 9 to 14 to take the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the vaccination exercise will be held in 21 states of the country, starting 27th May, 2024.
This was disclosed at a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), held on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to the communiqué signed by the Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the forum had received a briefing on the commencement of the exercise from its Senior Health Advisor, Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab.
Nigeria, in October 2023, initiated the integration of the vaccine into the national health system, to immunise 7.7 million adolescent girls ages 9–14.
The launch, spearheaded by the NPHCDA aimed to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in Nigeria.
The first phase of the exercise covered Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, FCT, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, and Taraba states.
While the second phase implementation of the vaccine would cover Anambra, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states.
