The West Mamprusi Municipal Disease Control Officer is extending a critical appeal to parents and guardians, encouraging them to ensure their eligible daughters receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, a proactive measure aimed at safeguarding against cervical cancer.
The vaccination campaign, currently underway from Tuesday, 7 October 2025, through to 11 October 2025, specifically targets girls aged 9-14 years, offering them protection against this significant health risk.
Emmanuel Nalibi, the Municipal Disease Control Officer, in an interview with Asaase News, underscored the profound importance of the HPV vaccine, stressing the imperative for parents to avail their eligible girls of this preventive opportunity.
"It is important in a sense that we will be given vaccines to girls aged 9 years to 14 years. This has come necessary because human papillomavirus is one of the leading cause of death in our girl child. So, WHO with a lot of research and then pilot has shown that Human Papillomavirus is really a canker in our communities," Nalibi said.
Emmanuel Nalibi emphasized that tragically, over 64,000 girls succumb to cervical cancer each year, underscoring the critical need for proactive intervention.
"If you look at data, data has shown that over 64,000 of our girls, we lose them annually through cervical cancer," he said.
He further indicated that to enhance accessibility and coverage, the vaccination initiative will be strategically extended across diverse settings, including schools, communities, churches, and mosques, with the aim of reaching and vaccinating eligible girls aged 9-14 years.
"Vaccination as we said is going to target schools, we will visit communities, we will visit Churches, we will visit Mosques, and then all communities to make sure that everybody gets this vaccine," he stressed.
Meanwhile, the West Mamprusi Municipal Health Directorate convened stakeholders last week Thursday (2 October 2025) including security agencies, chiefs, opinion leaders, healthcare professionals, and other pivotal allies, enlisting their support to effectively propagate the campaign's critical message and broaden its impact.
Reporting by Dokurugu Alhassan for Asaase News in the North East Region