Nigeria has vaccinated seven million girls across the country against cervical cancer, according to African media.
According to the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, the two-week vaccination programme is an important step towards protecting against a life-threatening disease common among young women in the country. The Alliance is a global health partnership collaborating with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Sania Nishtar, the chief executive officer of the vaccine alliance, stated:
It’s a major breakthrough in girls’ health in Nigeria. In just two weeks, an impressive 7 million girls have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection. Moreover, high-risk forms of the virus can progress to cervical cancer.
In October 2023, Nigeria included the first phase of HPV vaccine in its scheduled immunisation to fight cervical cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. WHO also describes cervical cancer as the second most common type of cancer among women in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate stated at the launch of the first phase of the vaccination in October 2023 that the vaccine targeted girls between the ages of nine and 14.
