The Nasarawa State Government has announced plans to administer vaccines to girls between the ages of 9 and 14 to protect them against cervical and breast cancer.
The Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Mohammed Addis, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Lafia, according to the Daily Trust.
The executive chairman was represented at the occasion by the Programme Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre, Ismaila Oko.
Addis explained that Nasarawa State is among the 16 states in the country selected for the first phase of the implementation of the vaccine.
He explained further that the vaccine had already been procured and was currently stored in the state for onward distribution to various centres.
He therefore commended President Bola Tinubu, the Governor of the state, Abdullahi Sule, and the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Fa’Isal Shua’Ib, for their roles in ensuring the availability of the vaccine in the pilot states.
Oko said that cervical and breast cancers account for about 50 percent of all cancer-related mortality.
He stated, “Based on the National Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2018, cervical and breast cancer account for about 50 percent of cancer-related mortality.
“And the survey also revealed that out of 10 women diagnosed with cancer, only two are likely to survive at the end of the day.”
The programme manager further explained that it was the result of the survey that prompted the Federal Government and other partners to develop the vaccine.
He said that the vaccine would be administered for seven days in all communities in the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
He explained that their staff would visit houses, schools, and worship centres within the period to ensure that the targeted girls were given the vaccine.
Similarly, Director of Health Education and Social Mobilisation at the NAPHDA, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the stakeholder’s meeting was aimed at carrying community leaders along in the project.
He explained that community leaders are expected to help enlighten the public about the introduction of the new vaccine to protect women against cancer.
He added that the vaccine had passed the clinical examinations and had been approved by all the relevant agencies at the international and national levels. He further said that the vaccine was certified and cleared by the relevant authorities and was therefore safe for use.
The meeting, which featured questions and answers, had in attendance representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Jama’Atu Nasril Islam, the media, LGA Coordinators of the National Orientation Agency, and Heads of Primary Healthcare Centres from the LGAs, among others.
