By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, (Bono), Oct. 20, GNA-Dr Abdulai Abukari, the Bono Regional Director of Health, has appealed to stakeholders to the on-going National Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunization (PIRI) campaign, focusing on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the region.
He emphasised that the directorate required support and cooperation of traditional and community leaders, religious groups, educational institutions, parents and guardians towards vaccinating every eligible girl aged between none years and 14 years.
Dr Abukari said that the directorate in collaboration with stakeholders like the Ghana Education Service had upscaled efforts to protect girls against cervical cancer with the campaign period between Monday October 19 and Friday October 23, 2026.
Addressing the media briefing on the campaign in Sunyani, Dr Abukari said the free vaccination exercise would adopt both school-based and community-based strategies to reach eligible girls, including those who are out of school, in all districts of the region.
He highlighted the importance of vaccination in protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases, saying that immunization has contributed significantly to improvements in child health and reductions in under-five mortality in Ghana.
Outlining the importance of the HPV vaccine, Dr Abukari explained that persistent infection with high-risk strains of HPV is responsible for about 99 percent of cervical cancer cases.
He stressed that cervical cancer remained the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Ghana, making prevention through vaccination a major public health priority.
The vaccine provides the greatest protection when administered before exposure to the virus, hence the focus on girls aged 9 to 14 years.
Between January and August 2026, Bono Region administered 8,497 doses of HPV vaccine, representing 63.5 percent of its annual target.
The Regional Director described the coverage as encouraging and an indication of growing confidence in the vaccine and the health system among parents, guardians, schools and community leaders.
However, more effort is required to ensure that every eligible girl is reached as the region set a target of 13,794 eligible girls for the first round of the intensified campaign and 9,196 for the second round.
Dr Abukari urged the media to intensify public education and provide accurate information on HPV vaccination to help address concerns, increase awareness and encourage parents to make their eligible children available for vaccination.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
Email address: [email protected]