Health authorities in the Western Region have called for continued public education and cooperation from parents as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for schoolgirls officially takes off across the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and other parts of Ghana.
The exercise, which targets girls aged 9 to 14 years, is part of the Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) national strategy to prevent cervical cancer — one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Ms. Henrietta Quabu, the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Officer for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, said schools had made deliberate efforts to engage and inform parents and guardians about the vaccination before rollout.
“Most schools sent official letters to parents to seek their consent. We wanted everyone to understand that the HPV vaccine is for the protection of our young girls,” Ms. Quabu explained.
She acknowledged that while some hesitation was recorded on the first day, health teams respected the rights of learners who chose not to participate.
“We didn’t force any child to take the vaccine,” she said. “The good thing is that after this campaign, the HPV vaccine will become part of Ghana’s routine immunization, so any eligible girl can receive it later at a health centre once she turns nine.”
Ms. Quabu described the overall turnout as encouraging and expressed optimism that participation would increase as more parents gain confidence in the safety and importance of the vaccine.
The vaccination exercise, which runs from October 8 to 12, will cover basic schools nationwide, offering a single-dose vaccine that provides lifelong protection against HPV — the virus responsible for most cervical cancer cases.
Dr. Gifty Amugi, Deputy Director of Public Health at the Western Regional Health Directorate, emphasized that continuous education remains vital to dispel myths and reassure parents.
“We understand that new vaccines sometimes create anxiety, but we want parents to know that the HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and has been approved by the World Health Organization,” Dr. Amugi said.
Health officials say the nationwide campaign represents a major milestone in Ghana’s public health efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, urging parents to support the programme and ensure that no girl misses out on this life-saving opportunity.
