By Nna Anulumadu
The wife of the governor of Anambra state, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has underscored the importance of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination as she flagged off free vaccination in Anambra state.
The official flag off which took place at the Michael Tansi Secondary School, Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area, marked a more determined step by the government to take out cervical cancer from the state beginning from teenage girls.
Presiding over the official flag off, Mrs Soludo said that cervical cancer is fast becoming one of the leading causes of death among women, noting that every year in Nigeria, cervical cancer silently manifests in about 12,000 women and takes the lives of 8000 promising women.
She regretted that the disease destroys the lives of women, taking them away from their families just as they reach the prime of their lives, leaving husbands without wives, children without mothers, and families in financial ruins.
Mrs Soludo noted that in her capacity as the first lady of the state through her NGO, Healthy healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, the government was offering free cervical cancer screening and treatment at some health facilities in Anambra state to provide early detection, screening, and urged women from 25 years and above to get screened to know their health status.
She called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to advance the message while urging teachers to open their schools and allow all eligible pupils and students to get vaccinated.
Earlier in his speech, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, noted that the vaccine costs N24,000, adding that the major beneficiaries of the vaccines would be those who cannot afford it.
According to him, the Soludo administration is carefully securing the well-being of the Anambra children through a systematic approach.
On her part, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Pharmacist Chisom Uchem, revealed that after the flag-off, the vaccination would be continued at the PHCs.
She said the vaccines are free, safe, and have potent effects.
In their separate goodwill messages, the World Health Organization (WHO) Zonal Coordinator for South East, Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu and Obiora Agbakwulu of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, noted that Anambra State is achieving the milestone because of the commitment of the government, and commended the governor’s wife for being a cervical cancer champion.
They assured of their support to ensure full implementation of the initiative.
The governor’s wife later performed the official vaccination to demonstrate how the HPV vaccine should be administered.
The HPV vaccine, which will be available at Primary Health Centres, PHCs, and public health facilities across the state, would be given to girls from ages 9 to 14.
The initiative is championed by the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Agency, ANSPHCDA in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, with support from partners including the World Health Organization, WHO, UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), IVAC, and SAWO.
