By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu
Keta (VR), Sept 12, GNA-The Keta Municipal Health Directorate in the Volta Region is set to embark on cervical cancer (Human Papillomavirus, (HPV) vaccination immunisation exercise, which was billed to commence on October 7, 2025.
The Municipal Health Directorate has confirmed the initiative, which aims at protecting girls aged between nine to14 years against cervical cancer.
Madam Dora Kugbonu, the Keta Municipal Public Health Promotion Officer, stated that the Ghana Health Service has targeted teenagers between the ages of 9 to 14 for HPV vaccine campaign and urged parents and guardians to ensure that their girl children within the age group get vaccinated to protect them against cervical cancer.
“The HPV vaccine prevents persistent HPV infections and offers protection against cervical cancer later in life. A single dose of the vaccine provides lifelong protection, the vaccine is safe and important for eligible girls,” she said.
She said that the HPV was a group of more than 100 related viruses while some of which could lead to certain types of cancer and other health related issues, and the routine vaccination initiative was part of efforts to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in the country.
She explained that vaccinating girls against HPV was crucial in preventing cervical cancer which was a significant health concerned for women and communities in Keta Municipal has been expected to contribute to reducing the risk of cervical cancer among young girls.
She said: “HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has various types such as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Type 1 and 2 are easy to prevent but type 3 and 4 are dangerous and could lead to cervical cancer or death. Early testing, screening and detection will help early treatment.”
Madam Kugbonu said that the HPV does not show any clear physical symptoms and the best method to detect the disease was to get screened for early treatment to prevent further damages to the human system while the vaccine also focused on preventing infections that lead to cervical cancer.
Madam Dora Kugbonu said the Keta Municipal Health Directorate helped in promoting awareness about the HPV vaccine and its benefits in the area to ensure every eligible girl gets vaccinated.
She said that the health directorate would continue to engage stakeholders and communities ahead of the vaccination to create awareness and educate the public about the causes, effects and preventive methods to adopt to curb HPV before October 7, initiating date.
Ghana News Agency also gathered that the HPV vaccine can be given up to age 26 for those who did not previously get vaccinated while the disease spread through skin-to-skin contacts often during sexual activities and can affect both sexes.
It was also noted that the low-risk types of HPV could cause genital warts while high-risk types could also lead to cancer such as cervical, anal, penile, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers.
Residents were also urged to consult healthcare providers for advice on vaccination and HPV related health tips whenever they have any unusual feeling within themselves as well as get protected during sex.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah