The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the Upper East Region has announced a free nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years. The exercise will run from 7th to 11th October 2025 and aims to prevent cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana.
The announcement was made during a media briefing in Bolgatanga, addressed by Dr. Edmund Nellic Nyanwura, Health Director for the Kassena-Nankana Municipal, on behalf of the Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Briamah Baba Abubakari.
According to Dr. Nyanwura, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Ghanaian women, with nearly 2,800 new cases and 1,700 deaths recorded in 2020. He emphasized that 99 percent of cervical cancers are linked to persistent infection with HPV, a highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection.
“Fortunately, science and public health advancements have provided us with a safe and effective vaccine that prevents HPV infection, thereby reducing the risk of cervical cancer and other HPV-related conditions,” Dr. Nyanwura noted.
The campaign, he explained, will use Gardasil 4, a proven HPV vaccine, administered in a single dose. Vaccinations will take place in schools, health facilities, and outreach posts across the region. Beyond the campaign, the HPV vaccine will be integrated into Ghana’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), targeting nine-year-old girls annually, with catch-up for older girls.
The GHS underscored the vital role of the media in ensuring success. “The media has a critical role to play in educating the public, dispelling myths and misinformation, and encouraging parents to embrace this campaign wholeheartedly,” Dr. Nyanwura said.
Parents and guardians have been urged to ensure their daughters within the age bracket are vaccinated. Teachers, religious leaders, and community stakeholders were also called upon to help mobilize girls for the campaign.
“This campaign is not just a health intervention — it is a commitment to safeguarding the lives of our future mothers, sisters, and leaders,” Dr. Nyanwura concluded.
The HPV vaccination initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, which targets 90 percent HPV vaccination coverage among girls before age 15.
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