Why Govt Launched Mass Vaccination for 10 to 14 Years Girls
On Saturday, January 28, Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha announced a mass vaccination plan for 90% of Kenyan girls between the ages of 10 and 14.
The goal of this plan is to enhance the chances of these girls not contracting terminal cervical cancer.
This move is part of President William Ruto’s government’s efforts to reduce the number of women who contract cervical cancer.
Nakhumicha implored healthcare service providers to join in this cause and emphasized that the government has put in place mechanisms to ensure that Kenyan women receive proper care at all cancer treatment centers.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with counties and partners to eliminate cervical cancer in Kenya, Nakhumicha stated.
In addition to appealing to healthcare service providers, Nakhumicha also called on husbands to support their wives in getting cancer screening services.
The Ministry of Health advised that to stop cervical cancer, everyone must play a role.
All women should get screened regularly, and girls can be vaccinated from the ages of 10 to 14.
Men should support their wives, mothers, sisters, granddaughters, grandmothers and daughters to get regular check-ups.
Cervical cancer is a burden that is putting significant strain on populations and health systems at all income levels.
The Ministry of Health revealed that cancer is the second leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases.
At the same time, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN report for 2018 estimated 47,887 new cases of cancer annually with a mortality of 32,987.
Afya House stated that breast, cervix uteri, oesophagus, prostate and colorectum are the leading types of new cancer cases in both males and females across all ages.
However, health officials noted that oesophageal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by cervical cancer and then breast cancer.
With this vaccination program in place, the government hopes to reduce the number of cervical cancer cases and ultimately save lives.
Why Govt Launched Mass Vaccination for 10 to 14 Years Girls
