All 10-13 year old girls to be vaccinated against cervical cancer

By John Agaba & Agnes Kyotalengereire 

All school going girls between 10 and 13 years will this year be vaccinated against cancer of the cervix in a nationwide campaign estimated to cost about $1.34m (about sh4b).

Dr. Robert Mayanja, the UNEPI programme manager, revealed Tuesday that the campaign will be rolled out starting October in continuation of the pilot that was conducted in 14 districts in 2010.

He said that they were targeting girls between 10 to 13 years because “we believe they are not yet sexually active and therefore not yet exposed to the virus.” 

This was during a press breakfast meeting at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Tuesday organized by the health ministry in partnership with Merck, a non-profit making organisation based in North America, to sensitize the media on immunization services in Uganda as part of the activities to mark the World Immunization Week.

Dr. Mayanja, who doubles as the ass commissioner in charge of immunization at the ministry, said they were mapping (primary) schools, giving them a schedule when they will bring pupils for vaccination at health facilities and outreaches.

“We want every girl (between 10 and 13 years) to receive this vaccine. Where we don’t have health facilities we are setting up outreach centres,” he said.

“It will be the responsibility of the school to ensure that all their primary four girls (between 10 and 13 years) go to these centres for the vaccination.”

“There are challenges, with some individuals de-campaigning immunization, sabotaging our work, but we shall be working with schools and the local authorities who shall be accountable. We want to use the same opportunity to make sure all the girls who turn up for the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine also are vaccinated against tetanus.”

Cervical cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women between 15 and 44 years in Uganda. It is estimated that about 3, 915 women are diagnosed with the virus every year (new cases), and 2,275 women die from the disease per year.

The cancer that ‘eats’ the lowermost part of the uterus in the female reproductive system can lie harmless for 3 to 15 years from when the woman gets infected before it starts to finally bite with symptoms.
If untreated, it can be terminal.

Dr. Judith Ajeani, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital, said “we need to step up the effort and do much more to save the women.”

“Cancer (Cervical) can be treated. When it is detected early, we can ‘peel’ off the affected parts, and someone lives a normal life. The challenge though is that many patients came when the disease is in advanced stage. So the best way is prevention. And we have a vaccine,” Ajeani said.

Eighty percent of the sh4b funding is contributed by the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI), while the Uganda government is contributing the rest 20%.

Farouk Shamas Jiwa, the director corporate responsibility and public policy, called for more funding towards vaccination of girls’ immunizable diseases, saying that by investing in girls “we are investing in the future and are likely to have a healthier and productive population.”