Embu County Government has begun an ambitious cervical cancer vaccination programme for girls aged between 9-15 years.
Deputy Governor Kinyua Mugo said as of 2024, they had managed to vaccinate 72 percent of the targeted population with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV vaccine).
He said the vaccine had proven to be one of the most effective tools in preventing cervical cancer with statistics from World Health Organization (WHO) indicating that vaccination of girls at an early age reduces their risk of developing cancer by nearly 90 percent.
He said the vaccination would go a long way in reducing the burden of cervical cancer on the county’s health system and averting future deaths from the disease.
Speaking on Wednesday at Ishiara Level Four Hospital in Mbeere North Constituency during commemoration of this year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the DG called on parents to take their young daughters for the lifesaving vaccine and also ensure they completed the doses as scheduled.
Meanwhile, Mugo said they have also scaled up the fight against cervical and breast cancer by conducting extensive awareness and screening as well as treatment outreaches in collaboration with Beyond Zero Foundation.
He said the three-year partnership that commenced last year and to last would see services decentralized to ensure they were able to reach all the women.
He said the burden of cervical and breast cancer was particularly heavy in rural areas where access to screening and treatment remained limited and that was what informed their decision to take the services closer to the people.
Mugo reported that 42 percent of women aged 25-49 had so far been screened for cervical cancer and 33 percent of those found with precancerous lesions treated.
“Through the acceleration of these activities, and with support from partners, our ultimate goal is to eliminate cervical cancer in Embu by 2030,” he said.
At the same time, he said they were accelerating registration of households into the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme under the Primary Health Care Fund (PHCF) that covers screening and management of precancerous lesions.
He called on all members of the public to register in order to benefit from the scheme.
By Samuel Waititu
