Joint Press Launch – Ministry of Well being and Sanitation, Gavi and the United Nations
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – 03 October 2022 – In a transfer to guard adolescent ladies from cervical most cancers, the Authorities of Sierra Leone as we speak launched the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule and launched the beginning of a marketing campaign to achieve 153,991 ladies with the vaccine. The introduction of HPV vaccine is likely one of the key methods that the Authorities is implementing towards cervical most cancers elimination within the nation.
The Ministry of Well being and Sanitation (MoHS) – with help from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Well being Group (WHO) – will administer HPV vaccines nationwide by way of colleges, focusing on 153,991 10-year-old ladies, who will every obtain two doses over a six-month interval.
Regardless of the HPV vaccine offering a confirmed and secure instrument to guard girls and ladies towards HPV and the danger of cervical most cancers, world protection charges amongst 15-year-old ladies stay low at 15 p.c with two doses on common. Newest world immunisation protection information exhibits that simply 12% of ladies globally are receiving the essential vaccine with immunisation campaigns significantly disrupted by lockdowns and faculty closures.
“The Authorities of Sierra Leone wholeheartedly welcomes the introduction of the HPV vaccination drive and urges all to help ladies ten years of age to be vaccinated and thus stopping them from cervical most cancers and its penalties through the course of their whole lives”, mentioned Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Well being and Sanitation.
Globally, cervical most cancers is the fourth most typical most cancers amongst girls with an estimated 266,000 deaths and 528,000 new circumstances annually. Round 85 p.c of the worldwide burden of cervical most cancers happens in decrease revenue international locations. In response to the Sierra Leone Most cancers registry, cervical most cancers is the second most typical, and primary killer, of all cancers amongst girls aged between 14 and 44 years previous – and in 2021, roughly 504 new circumstances of this lethal most cancers have been recognized.
“Right now’s launch needs to be celebrated as a primary step in direction of defending ladies in Sierra Leone from cervical most cancers and offering them with a greater probability of residing longer, more healthy lives and reaching their full potential,” mentioned Thabani Maphosa, the Managing Director of Nation Programmes at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “Traditionally, HPV protection worldwide, however particularly in lower-income international locations the place the most cancers burden is highest, was already too low. The pandemic and faculty closures have taken an additional toll. Supporting international locations to catch up and enhance HPV protection is a important precedence Gavi shifting ahead and would require motion on the demand- and supply-side. We stay up for working with our companions in direction of this aim.”
The introduction of the HPV vaccine in Sierra Leone comes after a number of months of thorough planning led by the Ministry of Well being and Sanitation’s Nationwide Immunisation Programme. In 2014, a Gavi-supported HPV vaccine pilot mission was undertaken in Bo District.
This pilot demonstrated the nation’s skill and readiness to implement a school-based vaccination programme nationwide. Nonetheless, because of the Ebola Virus Illness and COVID-19 outbreaks, the MoHS needed to postpone the introduction of the nationwide vaccine.
“The introduction of the HPV vaccine is a welcome demonstration of the collaborative efforts in Sierra Leone to help the great well being of each youngster. Good well being is a fundamental human proper, which each youngster in Sierra Leone ought to get pleasure from, no matter the place they’re within the nation,” mentioned UNICEF Consultant, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh.
Greater than 55 p.c of the 194 WHO Member States have launched HPV vaccination, nonetheless in West and Central Africa the HPV vaccine has been launched in solely eight international locations. With as we speak’s launch, Sierra Leone joins the group of regional pacesetters introducing the HPV vaccine into routine immunisation applications as a key technique to forestall mortality and morbidity as a consequence of cervical most cancers.
“We’re within the period the place nobody ought to undergo or die from illnesses which are preventable with using vaccines. And, as we make these lifesaving companies accessible to safeguard the well being of girls and ladies, we’re additionally contributing to empowering the person, the group, in addition to enhancing sustainable social and financial improvement of the nation”, says Dr Steven Velabo Shongwe, WHO Consultant in Sierra Leone. “We urge authorities and fogeys to make sure that their ladies are protected towards the misery of cervical most cancers by defending them towards HPV at an early age”.
“Cervical most cancers is the 2nd most frequent most cancers amongst girls in Sierra Leone. The introduction of the HPV vaccine is a momentous milestone in defending the well being of ladies and decreasing their threat of future sickness. This marketing campaign additionally supplies an necessary alternative to broaden training and outreach to advertise uptake of cervical most cancers screening and therapy companies by older girls. Alongside HPV vaccine rollout, these companies are important to eliminating one of the preventable cancers,” mentioned Nadia Rasheed, UNFPA Consultant.
To make sure the efficient introduction of the vaccine, Gavi is supporting the procurement and set up of 463 units of photo voltaic fridges to assist strengthen chilly chain methods and be certain that vaccines keep at optimum temperatures throughout transport, storage, and supply to vaccination factors. As well as, 1,500 healthcare employees have been skilled to manage this lifesaving vaccine.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance has labored with the MoHS and the federal government of Sierra Leone since 2001 to increase equitable entry to immunisation companies to each youngster. This help, amounting to US$ 101 million thus far, has included the procurement of vaccine doses and chilly chain gear, together with for COVID-19, in addition to investments in well being methods and technical help to help routine immunisation, new vaccine introductions and supplementary campaigns.
Via the management of the MoHS, intensive sensitization is ongoing at a group stage to assist increase public consciousness concerning the HPV vaccine and uptake – specializing in the focused age group of ladies, group members and leaders, so they’re empowered and knowledgeable concerning the instruments out there to forestall cervical most cancers. With help from companions, a variety of supplies have additionally been developed to tell and reply to the questions which ladies, mother and father, and caregivers may need about this new vaccine.
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For extra data, please contact:
- Harold Thomas
Danger Communications Lead/Well being Training Supervisor.
Ministry of Well being and Sanitation
E mail: haroldthomas2007 [at] yahoo.com (well being.training.gov.sl); Cellphone: +232 76 60 24 60 - Collins Mwai
Media & Communications Advisor
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
E mail : cmwai [at] gavi.org () Cellphone +250787836638 - Tapuwa Loreen Mutseyekwa
Communication Specialist| Exterior Relations & Advocacy
United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF)
E mail: tmutseyekwa [at] unicef.org (); Cellphone: +23276100532 - Saffea Gborie
Communications Officer.
World Well being Group (WHO)
E mail: gboriesa [at] who.int (); Cellphone: +232 76 77 78 78 - John Baimba Sesay
Internet and Media Analyst
United Nations Inhabitants Fund (UNFPA)
E mail: jsesay [at] unfpa.org (); Cellphone: +23230953193