Nasarawa to administer cervical, breast cancer vaccines on girls
The Nasarawa State government has announced its plans to administer vaccines on girls between ages 9-14 years to protect them against cervical and breast cancer.
The Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NAPHDA), Dr. Mohammed Addis, made this known at a stakeholders meeting on Thursday in Lafia.
He was represented at the occasion by Ismaila Oko, Programme Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre.
Addis explained that Nasarawa State was among the 16 States in the country selected for the first phase of the implementation of the vaccination project.
According to him, the vaccine have been procured already and currently stored in the State for onward distribution to various centres.
He commended President Bola Tinubu, Governor Abdullahi Sule and Dr. Fa’Isal Shua’Ib, Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency for their roles toward ensuring the availability of the vaccines in the pilot States.
On his part, Comr. Ismaila Oko, Programme Manager State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre, cervical and breast cancer account for about 50 per cent of all cancer related mortality.
“Based on National Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2018, cervical and breast cancer account for about 50 per cent of cancer related mortality.
“And the survey also revealed that out of 10 women diagnosed with cancer, only two are likely to survive at the end of the day,” he said.
He said that it was as a result of the survey that prompted the Federal Government and other partners to develop the vaccines.
He said that the vaccines would be administered for seven days in all communities of the 13 Local Government Areas of the State.
