This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
As the second-leading cause of death, cancer claims 9.6 million lives annually, making any effort to combat it worthwhile.
Kenya, among low-income countries, has launched a countrywide vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a major step in the fight against cervical cancer.
HPV and Hepatitis infections, though preventable through vaccination, are responsible for 25 per cent of cancer cases in low- and middle-income countries.
The Ministry of Health, international organisations, and the highest office on the land have shown support for this initiative, which should be acknowledged by all.
It is crucial to work in synergy towards practical adoption by going for the vaccination and mobilising all girls of age 10 and above to get this life-saving jab.
Health communication experts attribute low uptake of medical interventions to the low-risk perception index of the lay public towards the disease or intervention in question.
Every human behaviour needs a trigger with a requisite threshold to result in a positive action.
To enhance uptake of such innovations, our health professionals need to lower themselves to the level of would-be recipients and give answers to these questions: what is HPV? Why should we be concerned? What are the benefits of the vaccine and punishment for not having it?
HPV is a viral infection of the skin and mucous membranes, spread through skin contact and vaginal, anal or oral sexual intercourse with an infected person.
The slow and covert development of the disease fans its destructive effects, which come to the fore when it is too late for treatment to yield much.
HPV can remain silent for up to 20 years while the infected person spreads it unknowingly.
HPV is implicated in cervical cancer, which kills hundreds of thousands of women yearly, as well as cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, and throat.
The vaccine is a timely saviour whose single shot protects us from a myriad types of cancer.
It only works when someone isn’t already infected with HPV, and it responds better in younger ages and can prevent most cases of cervical cancer.
Research has shown that the vaccine is safe and effective in protecting the recipient against diseases caused by HPV.
Like any medical innovation, there are many myths around the vaccine — like its linkage to infertility and early sexual behaviour.
These have been proved wrong through research.
Prevention is indeed better than cure, and we may not have a say over other cancers, but let all our girls get this life-saving jab.
