Why we are engaging adolescents in HPV vaccine campaign – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it is engaging adolescents in its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) campaigns because the vaccine is a right for every child.

UNICEF Gender and Development Manager, Takudzwa Kanyangarara, said this on Thursday in Osogbo during a two-day stakeholders’ meeting on Adolescent and Youth-Led Action on HPV Vaccine.

Kanyangarara said that UNICEF was engaging adolescents and youths in the HPV vaccine campaign because it believed in their power and potential.

“That is why we are committed to working hand in hand with them to drive change for themselves and their communities,” she said.

Kanyangarara, however, noted that available data showed that not many girls were getting the vaccine in some states, including Osun.

She said that UNICEF, in partnership with Canada, had recently launched an adolescent and youth-led action initiative to promote the HPV vaccine and adolescent health, with five young leaders identified from Osun.

“The initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of young people to design, implement, and monitor their grassroots actions.

“This is to ensure that nine-year-old girls in their communities get the HPV vaccine and are protected from cervical cancer.

“Adolescents and young people have a key role to play in changing this, so that girls are armed and protected from cervical cancer.

“Following a successful multi-age campaign led by the government, the HPV vaccine is now available and free for nine-year-old girls.

“That is why we are convening this state workshop for young people to engage with the government and partners.

“A plan will also be developed on how they will work together to ensure every nine-year-old girl in Nigeria gets the vaccine,” she said.

Also, UNICEF Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Mrs Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, said there was a need to promote the HPV vaccine as the required right of the girl child.

Akinola-Akinwole said that UNICEF was bringing parents, caregivers, and community members together to ensure that every nine-year-old girl got the vaccine to protect their future against cervical cancer.

According to her, the rumors and misconceptions are some of the challenges facing the HPV vaccine.

“People believe that the vaccines will make them impotent, decrease the population, and also question the safety of the vaccine.

“UNICEF will continue to deploy messages through trusted voices in the community, messages that continue to reiterate the potency and efficacy of the vaccines.

“UNICEF works with all stakeholders across the board regarding demand generation to ensure that vaccines are continuously demanded,” she said.

In her remarks, Mrs Olaore Adebola, the state Immunisation Officer, said that 29,173 girl-children had been vaccinated in the state.

Adebola said that the state was targeting 3 million girls aged nine for HPV vaccination.