Written By Khadijat Aliyu and Edited by Godwin Duru
The public has been advised to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus HPV to eliminate cervical cancer.
Head of the Department of Human Anatomy, Yusuf Maitama Sule University who doubles as the Coordinator Nigerian Cancer Society Kano branch Dr. Maryam Nasir Aliyu made the call during a VCMs training on HPV vaccine and cervical cancer.
According to her, getting vaccinated against HPV is the best way to protect the society against the spread of cervical cancer, saying that in Nigeria, it is a significant health issue and is the second commonest cancer with high mortality rate among women.
Dr. Maryam maintained that, HPV is primarily transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, including vaginal, anal and oral sex, noting that it can also be transmitted through non sexual contact such as sharing towels or razors.
She pointed out that, both men and women are susceptible to HPV and its associated cancers, adding that HPV vaccine has been studied extensively and there is no link between infertility and the vaccine.
“Single dose of vaccine for preschool girls ages 9-14 years in Nigeria. Male vaccination as well as multiple dose can be given up to age 45 where resources are available”.
She described screening as one of the most public health intervention, and urged women to go for cervical cancer screening through HPV testing, visual techniques or cytology.
Director Personnel Management DPM State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre, SERICC, under the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board KNSPHCMB Mukhtar Rabi’u Abubakar hinted that the training was organized to educate the volunteer community mobilizers VCMS on the importance of HPV vaccine in eradicating cervical cancer.
He highlighted that, the VCMs interact with the grassroot through house to house visit which has yielded positive results across the state.
Some of the participants who spoke to Radio Nigeria, the volunteer ward supervisor, Hauwa Aliyu Sa’ad, Abida Sani Hutun Gawa ward and Shamsiyya Muhammad Adam from Mariri ward described the training as apt.
They explained that it has enriched their understanding regarding cervical cancer and promised to cascade the knowledge to others.
The training tagged: Kano state training for VCMs on HPV/cervical cancer awareness was organized by Kano state primary healthcare management board KNSPHCMB supported by Pathfinder international.
KHADIJAH ALIYU
