The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is set to launch a vaccination campaign by the end of the year, targeting pre-adolescents aged 9 to 14, with the goal of reducing the prevalence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) among women in Ghana.
This nationwide initiative aims to immunize adolescents before they become sexually active, given the concerning rate of cervical cancer.
Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, the Programmes Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service, underscored the importance of administering the two-dose vaccine to each child.
“We conducted a pilot program to gather insights, and now we are poised to implement a nationwide vaccination campaign. Our primary focus is on reaching young people before their sexual debut. By the end of the year, we anticipate launching the vaccination drive.”
“During the pilot phase, we initially administered three doses, which later transitioned to two. Currently, discussions are ongoing regarding a single-dose regimen. However, the decision to administer two doses is favored due to its efficacy.”
According to data from the ICO/IARC Information Centre on HPV and Cancer, Ghana has approximately 10.6 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of cervical cancer. Each year, an estimated 2797 women in Ghana are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with 1699 succumbing to the disease.
Cervical cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cancer among Ghanaian women, particularly those aged between 15 and 44 years.
While specific data on HPV prevalence in Ghana’s general population is currently unavailable, statistics for the wider Western African region, which Ghana is part of, indicate that approximately 4.3% of women harbor cervical HPV16/18 infection at any given time, with HPV 16 or 18 accounting for 55.6% of invasive cervical cancers.
