By Ahmed Ahmed
Not less than 36 Civil Society Organisations CSOs to Champion awareness campaigns on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) strategies to reduce the risk of cervical cancer among the girl child in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of Azurfa Women and Youth Development initiative, Mrs Monica Tanko Stated this in an interview with newsmen after a Micro planning meeting with relevant stakeholders at weekend in Gombe, Gombe State.
She said her Organisations Azurfa Women and Youth Development initiative is among the Civil Society Organizations trained to raise awareness on Human Papillomavirus and the strategies putting in place for reducing and/or lower the risk of the diseases for the girl child
According to her,more than 100 Civil Society Organizations have been trained out of which 36 selected were equipped to carry out this intervention.
Mrs Tanko stated that a 4 day training exercise on HPV was held on the 20th – 23rd March 2024 .
The training was implemented by International Vaccine Access (IVAC) and Direct Consulting Logistics (DCL) in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Women Advocate for Vaccine (WAVA), through a Gavi grant.
“With the aim to increasing public awareness on the virus improve understanding, importance of prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment also,
“With an objective to increase HPV vaccination rates for girls 9-14 years, promoting parents education, and influence policy related to HPV vaccinations by training of trainers (TOT),” She said
Mrs Tanko said that, as a result of the training received a meeting was organized by Gombe Primary Healthcare Management Board in Gombe State
The Executive Director said in Nigeria cervical cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths among women aged between 15 and 44 years,
“Research also shows about 12,075 new cases and nearly 8,000 deaths have been recorded in Nigeria from a disease that is preventable,” she said.
She however pointed out that It is the right of the girl child aged 9-14 to get vaccinated in order to stay alive.