Cervical cancer vaccination for school pupils

MORE than 500 000 girls aged between 10 and 14 are expected to be vaccinated against cervical cancer as Government intensifies efforts to reduce the number of women diagnosed of the disease.

The vaccine, Cevarex, was successfully piloted in Beitbridge and Marondera in the past two years.

Family health director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Bernard Madzima said Government had secured all required vaccines from the Global Alliance Vaccine (GAVI) and expects to roll out the programme beginning May this year.

GAVI is an international coalition of partners that include national governments, international organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisa- tion, the World Bank and philanthropic institutions.

“All vaccines are supported by GAVI and we are looking forward to start the national roll out upon opening of schools in May,” said Dr Madzima.

“The vaccinations will be carried out at schools.”

The vaccine would be administered annually from 2019.

“Evidence shows that the vaccine only protects women who have not acquired the virus, hence our target is those girls who are not yet sexually active,” said Dr Madzima.

“Our statistics show that the age of sexual debut for Zimbabwean women is 15 years. Thus, it will be more beneficial to administer the drug to girls below this age.”

The vaccine, Dr Madzima said, will significantly reduce cases of cervical cancer, the most common type affecting women in Zimbabwe, accounting for 32,2 percent of the cases.

Though there are many factors that lead to cervical cancer among women, 70 percent of the cases are as a result of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

According to the World Health Organisation, vaccination prevents infection from two types of HPV that are known to account for 70 percent of cervical cancer.

“The bigger the number of women protected, the higher the chances of reducing cases of cervical cancer and the higher the chances of improving the lives of women and girls in the country,” said Dr Madzima.