Teen girls to receive HPV vaccines

Debra Matabvu, Harare Bureau
AT least 800 000 girls between the ages of nine and 14 will be vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) beginning early next year as Government steps up efforts to combat cervical cancer.

The girls are set to receive the first dosage next year, while the second dosage will be administered to the same group in 2019.

Government, together with a non-governmental organisation — Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) — have already set aside US$ 5 million for the programme.

Under a pilot programme conducted between 2015 and 2016, over 40 000 10-year-old girls were vaccinated in Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South and Midlands.

HPV is a venereal infection with potential to affect at least 80 percent of sexually-active women and men.

Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa said the targeted age group is still sexually inactive but administering the vaccine now would protect them from the virus in the future.

“Once this vaccine is given to these age groups that are free of the infection, which is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, they will be protected from the HPV in future when they become sexually active,” he said.

“To prevent cancer, we need to protect these young people from contracting this infection and this can be done through HPV vaccination.

“In 2018, we will be going to every district in the country targeting girls aged beween nine and 14. We will go for those in Grade Five for the first dose.

They will then get the second dose when they are in Grade Six.

“So next year we intend to vaccinate over 805 000 girls in order to prevent cervical cancer,” Dr Parirenyatwa explained.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death among Zimbabwean women, accounting for 15 percent of all cancer cases reported by the Zimbabwe Cancer Registry in 2012.

The 2010 Zimbabwe HPV and Related Cancers Summary Report says cancer is responsible for 1 286 deaths annually, with 2 587 new cases and 1 772 annual deaths projected by 2025. HPV affects the skin and the body’s moist membrane linings, mainly genitalia, the mouth and throat.

Continued exposure to HPV 16 and 18 through intercourse can lead to pre-cancerous lesions that can later develop into cancer if left untreated.

However, other HPV types are harmless, often clearing without medical intervention.