Kumasi: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is partnering with six Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to reach girls aged 9 to 14 who are out of school as it rolls out the HPV Vaccination Campaign. The collaboration includes Theatre for Social Change, Curious Minds Ghana, DAWAH Academy, Muslim Women in Teaching (MUSWIT), The Light Foundation, and Meta Foundation, focusing on mobilising communities to boost vaccine uptake among girls often missed by mainstream health initiatives. Activities will encompass grassroots sensitisation, outreach, and mobilisation to bridge the information and access gap between in-school and out-of-school girls.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ghana now joins more than 140 countries that have integrated the HPV vaccine into routine immunisation programmes, a significant step in combating cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women globally. Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest burden, with over 70 per cent of cases detected at late stages, leading to poor treatment outcomes.
Speaking at the annual MUSWIT conference in Kumasi, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Specialist Madam Charity Nikoi emphasised the necessity of reaching out-of-school girls with the same urgency as those in school. She encouraged parents and guardians to ensure eligible girls receive the vaccine before exposure to the virus, highlighting its effectiveness at an early age.
The campaign seeks to reduce cervical cancer incidence, enhance women's health outcomes, and ensure no eligible girl-whether in school or not-is left unprotected against HPV.
