The World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to commence vaccination of Benue State female gender aged nine to fourteen years with Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine (HPVV) to protect them against cervical cancer.
The 5-day pilot campaign programme which will kick-off in the state October 24th, 2023 according to state Health Education Officer, Dr. Emmanuel Beekaa, targets female children that are assumed not to be sexually active hence the selection of female gender within adolescence stage in their lives.
Dr. Beekaa told newsmen during the state media orientation and sensitisation meeting at the conference hall, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Makurdi that the programme was for both sexes but Nigeria was targeting only the female gender given limited quantity of the vaccines.
He said a total of 952 teams have been assigned to the state by the World Health Organization (WHO) to carry out implementation of the programme, which according to him, will cover the entire 23 local government areas in the state.
The vaccination is expected to cover target population from both special and out – of – reach sites which include schools, out of school, mobile and fixed teams.
In a presentation, a consultant with World Health Organisation (WHO) on Papilloma Virus Vaccine (HPVV), Dr. Mrs. Winifred Uzoamaka Onodu, explained that the health programme was to be carried out in two phases with the first phase commencing in 2023.
The states to benefit in the first phase, according to Dr. Onodu, include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Nasarwa, Ogun, Osun, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory.
The second phase of the programme, Dr. Onodu further explained, will be launched in the remaining states of Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara in the early part of 2024.
Dr. Onodu revealed that Nigeria was using Gardasil, a very high component of the vaccine and urged care givers in the state to present their wards to be vaccinated during the 5-day exercise.
One of the collaborating partners, Dr. Anita, who spoke on Risk Communication, Myths and Misconception about the new vaccine, tasked the media to help propagate the good news about the vaccine’s efficacy.
She said since the public believes more in the information emanating from the media, it was incumbent on the media to help dispel misinformation that will be associated with the new vaccine.
In a vote of thanks, the Director, Public Health, Mrs. Esther Menger who stood in for the Permanent Secretary commended the World Health Organisation for including Benue State in the pilot scheme of the programme.
She sued for support from the media to help in disseminating information about the new vaccine.
The state media orientation and sensitisation meeting was attended by journalists representing different media organisations in the state.
