The Ghana Health Service is rolling out a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign in schools, working with the Ghana Education Service through the School Health Education Programme to reach girls aged 9 to 14 who haven't yet been vaccinated against cervical cancer.
The exercise, part of the Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunisation, runs in two rounds. The first stretches from Monday, October 19 to Friday, October 23, with the second running from Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 4.
Health staff will visit schools across the country to administer the HPV vaccine directly, targeting eligible girls who missed earlier rounds.
The goal, according to the Ghana Health Service, is to "raise awareness of the routine HPV vaccine, improve vaccination uptake, and ensure that all eligible girls aged 9-14 years are protected against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases."
Cervical cancer remains one of the more preventable cancers when caught early or avoided altogether through vaccination, which is why health authorities are leaning on schools as the most efficient way to reach the target age group in large numbers.
A Call for Cooperation
The Service is appealing to school authorities, parents, guardians, teachers and community leaders to back the exercise and work with the visiting health teams.
"The Ghana Health Service respectfully calls on all stakeholders... to support and cooperate with health teams to ensure the successful implementation of the exercise," the statement read.
In a signed release, Director-General Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea reaffirmed the Service's commitment to child health, describing the campaign as part of a broader effort toward "safeguarding the health of our children and building a healthier nation."
Parents whose daughters fall within the eligible age bracket are expected to look out for communication from their children's schools ahead of the two vaccination windows.
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