About 12,000 Nigerian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, despite the disease being largely preventable, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mohammed Ali Pate, has disclosed.
The Minister made the disclosure during the launch of the cervical cancer vaccine campaign and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine integration sensitisation exercise held at Government Girls College, Bauchi.
According to him, “There is the need for greater awareness among stakeholders as part of efforts to eliminate cervical cancer in Bauchi State and across Nigeria.”
With the HPV vaccine, Pate stated that the disease can be prevented if vaccination is administered early to individuals who are susceptible to the virus and at risk of eventually developing cervical cancer.
He assured the commitment of the President to the cause and recalled the official flag-off of the HPV vaccination campaign in October 2023.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Dr Usman Malami, in his remarks, explained that cervical cancer is one of the few cancers with a known cause.
He added that it makes it one of the most preventable forms of cancer, stressing that since they already know what causes it and what can provide lifelong immunity, vaccination becomes a critical tool.
