Cervix cancer immunization takes off in Kamuli

Apr 05, 2019

The campaign which targets 10 year-old girls in government and private schools, had by Friday covered 11,224 girls

HEALTH   VACCINATION

KAMULI-The health department in Kamuli district has taken on mass cervical cancer immunization campaign, aimed at protecting girls against the killer ailment.

The campaign which targets 10 year-old girls in government and private schools, had by Friday covered  11,224 girls, and still counting.

The nationwide exercise aims at immunizing girls using the Human Paploma Vaccine (HPV), in the bid to curb future occurrences of cervix cancer in the mothers of the next generation.   

Speaking to the stakeholders during the feedback meeting at Bugabula Guest House in Kamuli town, Kamuli municipality on Friday, Dr. Moses Lyagoba, the assistant District Health officer, said the exercise is running smoothly.

 

"By the close of last week, 11,224 girls had been immunized, and more are in the pipeline," Dr. Lyagoba, also the District Health Officer in Charge of Maternal and Child Health, said.

With 80 percent of women at the risk of contracting cervical cancer, with early sex being the led cause, Dr. Lyagoba emphasised why it is paramount for girls of 10 years of age to get the vaccine, before indulging in sex.

With the target places being government and private schools, the programme featured some challenges especially in the private schools, where the proprietors and the Head teachers protested the move.

"We got challenges in private schools, where the administrators hid the pupils, claiming that it is more of a threat than immunization," Dr. Lyagoba said, adding that to overcome this, the office was forced to call in the Police to arrest the culprits.

Such scenarios happened in Namasagali and Butansi sub counties, and some parts in the northern and southern divisions.

Kassim Kaggwa Ddumba, a community health expert from the health ministry said the vaccines were certified and proved to have no side effects.

Kaggwa said the ministry has a Coverage improvement Plan (CIP) of covering the entire country and making sure that the recipients get full doses at the close of six months, and do the same during the "Child Days Plus" scheduled for September.

Kaggwa rubbished the unpopular claims that the vaccines are harmful to human health, stressing that government cannot endorse projects aimed at hurting the populace.

"For decades, the government has conducted mass immunizations on polio, tetanus, TB among other for many years. Let people trust us and embrace the move," Kaggwa said.

Dr. Lyagoba added that he has for the last 15 years  conducted health campaigns successfullly, keeping diseases like measles at bay.

"I cannot say there is  total disease eradication but remarkable disease reduction," said Dr. Lyagoba, adding that the running project has enough vaccines to cover the projected clients.

Ibrahim Ndifuna, the head teacher of Starlight Day and Boarding Primary school in Kamuli municipality, decried the escalated cancer cases in young people, adding that the intervention is timely.

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