Accra: Sanford Health, a United States-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Health Directorate, has conducted a one-day vaccination exercise in the Gbetsile cluster of schools in the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality: The exercise targeted about 287 girls aged between nine and 14 years and aimed at protecting them against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of cervical cancer.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Esther Priscilla Biamah-Danquah, Municipal Director of Health Services, Kpone-Katamanso, stated that the exercise was crucial to safeguarding the health of the girl child, as cervical cancer remained a major public health concern. She explained that although the vaccine had no major side effects, some recipients might experience mild reactions such as warmth at the injection site, shivering or temporary bodily discomfort. Dr Biamah-Danquah added that the Directorate had put in place monitoring measures to follow up on all vaccinated girls within 28 days after vaccination. She urged parents and guardians to ensure eligible children were vaccinated, noting that the HPV vaccine also protected against other cancers, including anal, penile, throat and vaginal cancers. 'The vaccine is safe and free for every young girl between the ages of nine and 14,' she emphasised.
Dr Kweku Danquah, Sanford Health's representative in Ghana, described the intervention as timely and reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to the wellbeing and development of the girl child in its operational areas. He said Sanford Health had been implementing similar health interventions in Ghana for over two years, focusing on protecting adolescents, especially girls, against preventable diseases such as cervical cancer. Dr Danquah noted that the vaccination programme would be extended to other communities where the need arose.
Mrs Henrietta Agyeiwaa Gyebi, Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Adolescent Health Coordinator, expressed appreciation to Sanford Health and the Municipal Health Directorate, and called on policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise adolescent health in government policies and programmes. She noted that adolescence was a critical stage marked by significant physical and emotional changes that required collective attention.