• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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‘Nigeria to benefit free cervical cancer vaccine by 2021’

cervical cancer vaccine

Michael Oguntoye, chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Kwara State chapter has revealed that Nigeria is geared for free Cervical cancer vaccine by 2021 all over the country.

Oguntoye, who disclosed this recently during the associations Cocktail Lecture to commemorate 2020 World Cancer Day explained that cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccination, screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions and treatment of invasive cancer with palliative care.

The chairman of APHPN noted that at present, HPV Vaccines are only available in private health facilities in Nigeria.

He says: “Efforts are however being made to include the HPV vaccine as part of national routine immunisation.

 “HPV vaccination is recommended for girls between nine to 14 years of age and should be administered prior to becoming sexually active.”

Oguntoye, however, revealed that in line with the call for action on cancer, partners such as World Health Organisation (WHO) is actively engaged in supporting Nigeria to tackle Cervical Cancer in the country.

In his remarks, Raji Razaq, Kwara Commissioner for Health disclosed that the state government has approved that all women across the 16 local government area be screened for cervical cancer and breast cancer.

Razaq had while assuring that relevant treatment would be provided, observed that the observance of cancer each Feb. 4th is an opportunity to rally the international and local community to end the injustice of preventable suffering cancer.

“According to the World Health Organisation, across the globe every 17 minutes, people die from cancer and between 30 to 50 of all cancer cases are preventable,” he said.

Also, Ibrahim Oyebanjo, an expert in cancer who delivered a lecture entitled:” Role of Public Health cancer Registry in the prevention of cancer” emphasised on the need for cancer registry across Nigeria.

He laments on the lack of registry for cancer cases in the country, quoting the WHO, that of all the cancer registry literature update for countries all over the world, only one percent of the literature is rated for Africa compared to 34 percent and 42 percent for Europe.

In her lecture, Kike Adesina, a specialist on cancer, spoke on the theme: “Female Genital cancers: strategies for prevention”, counselled women on the need for early screening and detection of cancer.

She also kicked against early introduction of girls to sexual orientation, saying that such girls stand high chance of cervical cancer.

 

SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin