Anambra State First Lady, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has encouraged eligible women within the accredited age bracket to turn up for vaccination as the state gets ready to launch free vaccination for the human papillomavirus vaccine.
Mrs Soludo, who was speaking in Awka, said that the free vaccination, which is accessible to girls between the age of nine and 14, is one important step to fighting cervical cancer threats from an early stage
Anambra State government, had through its Ministry of Health, announced a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to begin maiden statewide HPV vaccination.
The vaccination, according to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike would be carried out in public health facilities in the state, including general hospitals and primary health care centres in the state.
Commenting on the scheduled launch, which has been fixed for May 24, 2024, in Awka North Local Government Area, Mrs. Soludo said that it is important to ensure that maximum coverage is achieved in the process, with special focus on girls living in the rural areas of the state.
She encouraged parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards whose ages fall within the eligibility bracket get duly vaccinated, stressing that the current administration is keen on taking full advantage of the important process for the benefit of Ndi Anambra.
The governor’s wife assured that the HPV vaccine is effective, safe, and completely free and could be accessed equally by anyone who is eligible to be vaccinated.
She also appealed to schools, religious, and social institutions to push the awareness and help to drive the advocacy for a better result.
While explaining that the HPV vaccination does not write off the importance of timely screening and early detection, Mrs Soludo noted that regular checks remain essential to completely defeating cervical cancer.
