By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, May 3, GNA – The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has urged parents to vaccinate girls aged nine to 14 against cervical cancer during African Vaccination Week.
The Service said the exercise was to ensure that all eligible girls received the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine introduced last year.
During a monitoring visit to vaccination centres in the Teshie Municipality, Prof Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General, GHS, said the exercise formed part of efforts to reach children who missed earlier vaccination.
“We don’t just want it to be rhetoric. After the launch, we went to schools and communities, and now we are returning to ensure that those we missed are vaccinated,” he said.
Prof Akoriyea said health teams were revisiting schools and communities nationwide to reach girls aged nine to 14.
He said the exercise covered public, private and faith-based schools, with engagement of parents and teachers to improve acceptance.
Prof Akoriyea emphasised that the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, was free of charge.
“It is a directive from His Excellency the President, John Dramani Mahama, that this programme is free. No one should pay even one cent,” he stated.
Prof Akoriyea highlighted the rollout of free primary healthcare services, including home visits by community health workers to provide care, follow-ups, and health education.
He said the initiative adopted a “One Health” approach, addressing individual, environmental and community health factors.
Prof Akoriyea assured community health workers of government support to deliver vaccines and related services effectively.
Dr Frank John Lule of the World Health Organization commended Ghana’s progress in immunisation and reaffirmed the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine.
“As WHO, we will continue to partner with the government to ensure all children we1re protected against vaccine-preventable diseases,” he said.
Mrs Theresa Opong-Mensah, National Coordinator for School Health Education at the Ghana Education Service, urged parents to ensure eligible girls received the vaccine before exposure to the virus.
African Vaccination Week 2026, observed from April 27 to May 3, is aimed at promoting immunisation and protecting populations against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The initiative highlights the role of vaccines in reducing childhood illnesses and deaths, particularly among children under five years.
Health authorities said sustained vaccination efforts had reduced diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria and whooping cough, but warned that declining coverage could lead to resurgence.
This year’s celebration is on the theme: “For Every Generation, Vaccines Work.”
Cervical cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana, with an estimated 2,800 new cases and 1,700 deaths recorded annually, largely linked to persistent HPV infection.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey