Kilifi HPV Vaccine for Cancer Prevention

By Julius Mwabonje

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Kilifi County leaders have asked parents to take their girls and women for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to prevent the prevalence of the disease in the area.

The call comes in the wake of improved healthcare in the county where the government recently launched its first ever cancer treatment center at the Kilifi County Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The area Senator Stewart Madzayo lauded the opening of the center and challenged cancer patients especially girls and women who suffer from preventable cancers such as HPV to take advantage of the facility.

“HPV vaccine will go a long way to help and improve the health of a woman in Kilifi and it is in that regard that we’re saying that instead of women coming at a later stage particularly when they are not aware that they have it until they realize that they cannot conceive and then realize they have cancer to turn up and get checked,” he said.

“Some of these things can be avoided and we want progress on the medical development, sustenance and improvement particularly on side of health of our people and it is in that regard that I’m sending a very clear message to all our females, girls and mothers that we encourage them that the HPV vaccine will help them.”

“When the governor took the first step to create a cancer center at the Kilifi County Teaching and Referral Hospital it was worth it because some of us work so hard in parliament to bring money to counties so that they can develop. The center is going to alleviate the pain of patients.”

Charity Kirimi, who helps poor breast cancer patients through her Night of Hope and Strength initiative, said that poor families would now get reprieve since they will not travel long distances to get treatment.

“By a chemotherapy facility coming to Kilifi County is a very historical moment because it will ease the burden of patients who didn’t even have a chance before to access treatment because of the distance and the cost involved,” she said.

According to her the county executive to ensure that the center is all time fully equipped to handle cancer cases.

Governor Gideon Mung’aro said that the health department would be launching a door-to-door HPV vaccination, and treatment to all villages to ensure that women and girls are given the jab.

“Very soon we’re launching a afya mashinani truck that will test people on cancer and HPV vaccinations and I encourage girls and women to turn up for the exercise,” he said.

The HPV vaccine prevents infection from the human papillomavirus hence reducing the risk of cervical cancer as well as genital warts and the World Health Organization (WHO) prioritizes vaccination for girls aged 9 to 14 before they become sexually active.

Those of age 15 and above are required to get two doses of the vaccine at a six month interval while statistics indicate that misinformation contributes to approximately 3,600 deaths annually from cervical cancer.