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Rutendo Rori Herald Correspondent
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has launched a follow-up vaccination programme against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), targeted at more than 7 000 girls in Marondera District.

In an Interview yesterday, Mashonaland East Provincial Epidemiology and Disease Control Officer, Dr Paul Matsvimbo said the vaccine was being given to girls aged between nine and 13.

“Girls that were vaccinated last year in Primary schools are the ones we are following up on for the second dose and our aim is to protect girls against cervical cancer, which is the leading cancer that affects women,” said Dr Matsvimbo.

Dr Matsvimbo also said the HPV vaccination programme started in 2014 in Marondera and Beitbridge districts and during that period the coverages were less due to lack of community mobilisation and sensitisation programmes.

“Initially, we managed to see around 61 percent of our target population and in July last year we saw 97,9 percent of the target population.

“In July last year we had a target of 7 633 children and we managed to vaccinate 7 478. Now we are looking at 7 478 for the second dose,” said Dr Matsvimbo.

Dr Matsvimbo also said there was now HPV vaccine for boys because the virus can be found in both males and females.

“We are focusing on girls because of a shortage of resources but boys are benefiting from Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) to protect them against penal cancer.”

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer in women in the world and the third greatest cause of death from among women.

Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus, which is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract.

Most sexually active women and men will be infected at some point in their lives and some may be infected repeatedly.

The peak time for acquiring infection for both men and women is shortly after becoming sexually active.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care with support from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization has laid a solid foundation to fight cervical cancer by introducing human Papilloma Virus vaccines to 9-13 year old girls in Marondera and Beitbridge since May 2014.

The two districts according to the Ministry were selected based on previous assessments of vaccination coverage which showed high PENTA 3 coverage, good oversight of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), therefore their readiness to add another vaccine and achieve the required coverage.