The Ghana Health Service (GHS) through its District Health Directorates is set to rollout a major nationwide vaccination exercise targeting young females aged between 11 and 14 years to tackle the rising prevalence of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is noted to be the second most common and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana. The upcoming intervention, scheduled to run from October 7th to 11th, 2025, aims to protect a generation of Ghanaian women by introducing the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the country’s routine immunization programme,
The vaccine which is being administered is a single dose of Gardasil 4. It would serve as a direct response to preventing the spread of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the common viral cause of cervical cancer and other related health issues.
The District Disease Control Officer, Mr. Obed Asare, confirmed the details of the upcoming exercise when he led a stakeholder’s discussion on a 5-day campaign strategy ahead of the exercise.
The meeting which brought together School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs), Community Information Center Operators, Assembly Members, Queenmothers’ Representatives and the Information Services Department was designed to ensure local leaders and community members fully understand the vaccine’s importance, address parental concerns, and secure maximum cooperation for the rollout.
Mr. Asare spoke about the proven safety and effectiveness of the HPV Vaccine in preventing cervical cancer and explained that their primary target for the vaccine is girls aged between 9 and 14 years old. He said that the vaccine is most effective when administered before exposure to the virus.
He reiterated that the introduction of the HPV Vaccine into the routine immunization schedule starting with this campaign marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s effort to prevent cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. He said that following the successful campaign, an estimated 2,463,889 girls nationwide are expected to be covered, including 437,739 girls specifically in the Dormaa East District.
The Disease Control Officer pointed out that the nationwide vaccination is a significant step towards Ghana’s commitment to the global 90-70-90 strategy for eliminating cervical cancer as a major public health problem by the year 2030.
He outlined the strategy as follows: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15 while 70% of women screened with a high-performance test by age 35, to be repeated at age 45; then 90% of women with identified cervical cancer treated, 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.
Source: Linda Osei Fobi, Dormaa East District Information Officer