Nasarawa government would vaccinate young girls against breast and cervical cancers

To prevent girls between the ages of 9 and 14 against cervical and breast cancer, the government of Nasarawa State has announced intentions to provide vaccinations.
The statement was made at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Lafia by Dr. Mohammed Addis, executive secretary of the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NAPHDA).

Ismaila Oko, the programme manager for the State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre, attended the event on behalf of the executive chairman.

Nasarawa State is one of the 16 states in the nation chosen for the initial phase of the vaccine’s implementation, according to Dr. Addis.

He clarified that the vaccine had already been purchased and was being held in the state in preparation for delivery to other sites.

Because of this, he expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Abdullahi Sule, and Dr. Fa’Isal Shua’Ib, Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, for their contributions to guaranteeing the vaccine’s accessibility in the pilot states.

For his part, Oko claimed that breast and cervical malignancies are responsible for around 50% of all cancer-related fatalities.

Cervical and breast cancers account for roughly 50% of cancer-related deaths, according to the 2018 National Demographic Health Survey.

The poll also showed that only two of every ten women who were diagnosed with cancer had a chance of surviving, he continued.

The programme manager went on to say that the survey’s findings were what encouraged the Federal Government and other partners to create the vaccine.

According to him, all villages in the state’s 13 local government areas would receive the vaccination for seven days.

He described how their employees would go to homes, schools, and places of worship during that time to make sure the targeted females had the shot.

Likewise, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Director of Health Education and Social Mobilisation at NAPHDA, stated that the purpose of the stakeholders gathering was to involve community leaders in the initiative.

He clarified that it is expected of community leaders to assist in educating the general public about the launch of the new vaccine to protect women against cancer.

He continued by saying that the vaccine has passed the necessary clinical tests and received approval from all pertinent organisations at both the national and international levels.

He further stated that the vaccination was approved for usage and certified by the appropriate authorities.

Representatives of the Jama’Atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the media, the LGA Coordinators of the National Orientation Agency, and the Heads of Primary Healthcare Centres from the LGAs were among those present at the meeting, which included questions and answers.