Ministry of Health to roll out nationwide HPV vaccination

The Ministry of Health will roll out vaccination of the Human papillomavirus in all 47 counties to curb increasing cases of cervical cancer in the country.

National Cancer Institute chief executive officer Dr Elias Melly said the government will meet the cost of the vaccine.

He called for an end to the myths associated with the vaccine while assuring the country that the vaccine was safe.

He said statistics in the country indicate that every year, 44,000 people are diagnosed with cancer out of which 28,000 are women, most of whom are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Melly who was speaking to Community Health Promoters in Bungoma said that according to World Health Organization requirements, the vaccine is administered to girls at the age of 15 years, while all women in the age bracket between 35 and 45 would be screened and those found infected will receive treatment.

He said cervical cancer can be treated if detected early through screening  and asked women to take the vaccination seriously.

Every year, 3,600 women in the country are diagnosed with cervical cancer out of which 67 per cent die, a situation he said can be averted if the women are sensitised on the importance of screening and vaccination.

He said the Ministry of Health will train CHP on cancer to enable them impart the same education to the community at the grassroots level.

HPV is a Sexually Transmitted Infection.