This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
On Thursday, Garissa County launched a drive to vaccinate 33,885 girls against Human papillomavirus (HPV) in a bid to prevent cervical cancer.
The vaccine will be administered to girls under 10 years old, a measure aimed at protecting them from cervical cancer.
Speaking at the launch, Garissa Health County Executive Committee Member Ahmed Nathir revealed that at least nine women die every day from cervical cancer in Kenya.
"It is our mothers, our aunts, our sisters, and daughters who suffer the most from the burden of this disease," Nathir said. "Cancer of the cervix is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Kenya. But this is now preventable through vaccination," he added.
Nathir expressed concern that myths and misinformation about the vaccine may hinder the target of vaccinating all eligible girls.
"There has been a lot of misinformation about this vaccine. Do not listen to the misinformation out there. This will save our girls from cancer," he said.
He clarified that the vaccine does not encourage girls to have sex and does not cause sterility, as some people claim.
The vaccine is safe and has been available in Kenya for years, although it was previously only administered in private hospitals. The county is offering the vaccine for free, a significant reduction from the Sh 8,000 cost in private hospitals.
The girls will receive two doses of the vaccine, six months apart, at no cost across all health facilities in the county, including refugee camps.
HPV is a viral infection that can be passed through skin-to-skin contact, and there are over 40 varieties of the virus. Various strains of HPV are associated with most cases of cervical cancer.
The vaccine offers 95 percent lifetime protection against most cases of cervical cancer if given before a girl or woman is exposed to the virus.
Published on December 5, 2019, at 12:09 PM.
