Ensuring Cervical Cancer Free Future: GHS Targets Girls from 9 to 14 years for HPV Vaccination
Story: GEORGINA APPIAH
The Central Regional Health Directorate has announced that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has begun the Human PapillomaVirus vaccination exercise for girls between the ages of nine and fourteen (9 and 14) to protect them against cervical cancer infection.
In a bid to ensure women become free of cervical cancer, the GHS says the HPV vaccination is appropriate for girls, who are sex-inactive, hence, the targeted age group.
Human PapillomaVirus is the main cause of cervical cancers as 99% of reported cases are linked to high risk HPV; extremely common Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), according to the Ghana Health Service.
Briefing the media in Cape Coast ahead of the 5-day vaccination exercise, which begins on 7th October, 2025, the Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr Jojo Cobbinah, indicated that in the year 2020, more than 600,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and almost 350,000 died from the disease.
He stated that “cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable type of cancer“, assuring that “screening and vaccination are key to prevent the disease”.
“Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer include; weight loss, pain during sexual intercourse,unusual vaginal bleeding, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, easy tiredness and itching or irritation in the genital among others”.
Dr Jojo Cobbinah disclosed that “cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths amongst women in Ghana”.
”Nearly 2,800 new cases and 1,700 deaths occurred in 2020”.
The World Health Organization envisions about 90% of girls would be fully vaccinated with HPV Vaccine by 15 years.
The Deputy Director of Public Health said “the ongoing HPV vaccination campaign targets over 2,463,889 girls across the country and 209,221 girls in the Central Region”.
The Central Regional Director of Health, Dr Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko encouraged everyone to take their children to the vaccination centers to protect them against cervical cancer.
On the misconception against such vaccination exercises, the Regional Health Director said neither the government nor the health service would peddle anything that would kill or cause infertility.
“The government and the Ghana Health Service would not do anything that would be inimical to the people of the country”.
