The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 582 (October 19 - November 1 2022)

News
OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 1 2022
TheTrumpet
Sierra Leone moves against cervical
cancer with HPV vaccine
Continued from Page 3<
most common cancer among women
with an estimated 266,000 deaths and
528,000 new cases each year. Around 85
percent of the global burden of cervical
cancer occurs in lower income countries.
According to the Sierra Leone Cancer
registry, cervical cancer is the second
most common, and number one killer, of
all cancers among women aged between
14 and 44 years old - and in 2021,
approximately 504 new cases of this
deadly cancer were diagnosed.
“Today’s launch should be celebrated
as a first step towards protecting girls in
Sierra Leone from cervical cancer and
providing them with a better chance of
living longer, healthier lives and reaching
their full potential,” said Thabani
Maphosa, the Managing Director of
Country Programmes at Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance. “Historically, HPV
coverage worldwide, but especially in
lower-income countries where the cancer
burden is highest, was already too low.
The pandemic and school closures have
taken a further toll. Supporting countries
to catch up and improve HPV coverage
is a critical priority Gavi moving forward
and will require action on the demandand
supply-side. We look forward to
working with our partners towards this
goal.”
The introduction of the HPV vaccine
in Sierra Leone comes after several
months of thorough planning led by the
Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s
National Immunisation Programme. In
2014, a Gavi-supported HPV vaccine
pilot project was undertaken in Bo
District.
This pilot demonstrated the country’s
ability and readiness to implement a
school-based vaccination programme
nationwide. However, due to the Ebola
Virus Disease and COVID-19 outbreaks,
the MoHS had to postpone the
introduction of the nationwide vaccine.
“The introduction of the HPV vaccine
is a welcome demonstration of the
collaborative efforts in Sierra Leone to
support the good health of every child.
Good health is a basic human right,
which every child in Sierra Leone should
enjoy, regardless of where they are in the
country,” said UNICEF
Representative, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh.
More than 55 percent of the 194
WHO Member States have introduced
HPV vaccination, however in West and
Central Africa the HPV vaccine has been
introduced in only eight countries. With
the launch, Sierra Leone joins the group
of regional pacesetters introducing the
HPV vaccine into routine immunisation
programs as a key strategy to prevent
mortality and morbidity due to cervical
cancer.
“We are in the era where no one
HPV Vaccine launch in Sierra Leone - (Photo - Saffea Gborie, WHO)
Dr Austin Demby, Sierra Leone's Minister of Health and Sanitation
should suffer or die from diseases that are
preventable with the use of vaccines.
And, as we make these lifesaving
services accessible to safeguard the
health of women and girls, we are also
contributing to empowering the
individual, the community, as well as
enhancing sustainable social and
economic development of the nation”,
says Dr Steven Velabo Shongwe, WHO
Representative in Sierra Leone. “We urge
authorities and parents to ensure that their
girls are protected against the distress of
cervical cancer by protecting them
against HPV at an early age”.
“Cervical cancer is the second most
frequent cancer among women in Sierra
Leone. The introduction of the HPV
vaccine is a momentous milestone in
protecting the health of girls and reducing
their risk of future illness. This campaign
also provides an important opportunity to
expand education and outreach to
promote uptake of cervical cancer
Page7
screening and treatment services by older
women. Alongside HPV vaccine rollout,
these services are essential to eliminating
one of the most preventable cancers,”
said Nadia Rasheed, UNFPA
Representative.
To ensure the effective introduction of
the vaccine, Gavi is supporting the
procurement and installation of 463 sets
of solar refrigerators to help strengthen
cold chain systems and ensure that
vaccines stay at optimal temperatures
during shipping, storage, and delivery to
vaccination points. In addition, 1,500
healthcare workers have been trained to
administer this lifesaving vaccine.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance has
worked with the MoHS and the
government of Sierra Leone since 2001
to extend equitable access to
immunisation services to every child.
This support, amounting to US$101
School children participating in the HPV Vaccine launch - (Photo - Saffea Gborie, WHO)
million to date, has included the
procurement of vaccine doses and cold
chain equipment, including for COVID-
19, as well as investments in health
systems and technical assistance to
support routine immunisation, new
vaccine introductions and supplementary
campaigns.
Through the leadership of the MoHS,
intensive sensitization is ongoing at a
community level to help raise public
awareness about the HPV vaccine and
uptake – focusing on the targeted age
group of girls, community members and
leaders, so they are empowered and
informed about the tools available to
prevent cervical cancer. With support
from partners, a wide range of materials
have also been developed to inform and
respond to the questions which girls,
parents, and caregivers might have about
this new vaccine.