Nasarawa State Advocacy Working Group wants Media to Champion HPV Vaccination Advocacy
By Nehemiah Gwamna
Community Link for Health and Family Planning Advocacy has sought collaboration with Radio Nigeria Precious FM towards enlightening parents and caregivers to take their young girls aged Nine – Fourteen to health centers across the state to receive vaccines against Human Papiloma Virus to prevent Cervical Cancer among them.
Chairperson of the Organization, Mrs. Mary Ashenanye stated this when she led Management of Community Link on an Advocacy Visit to the General Manager Radio Nigeria Precious, Alhaji Ibrahim Abimiku.
The Community Link for Health and Family Planning Advocacy is a proactive non-governmental org committed to safe, timely and nondiscriminatory health Advocacy to critical stakeholders to improve the health of women of childbearing, age children and the elderly.
The Organization has been actively working on child spacing and expanded its reach to Human Papiloma Virus vaccination Advocacy in Nasarawa State.
Speaking during the visit, Chairperson of the Community Link for Health and Family Planning Advocacy, Mrs. Mary Ashenanye emphasized that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and fourth worldwide among women in Nigeria, with an estimated Twelve thousand and seventy-five new cases and Seventy thousand Nine hundred and Sixty-Eight deaths annually.
Noting that Nasarawa State is among the Sixteen Phase One State for Human Papiloma Virus vaccine’s introduction, Mrs. Ashenanye advocated for the urgent integration of HPV vaccination into Nasarawa State’s routine immunization programs to reduce Cervical Cancer mortality, targeting young girls aged Nine to Fourteen years
Secretary of the Community Link, Mr. Kalu ldika maintained that Media Professional must monitor government investment and action on HPV routinization at all times.
Responding, the General Manager of Radio Nigeria Precious FM, Alhaji lbrahim Abimiku described the Advocacy Visit as interactive, productive and will go a long way in informing the public especially young girls and women on the need to avail themselves in health facilities to receive the vaccines to reduce cases of Cervical Cancer rate in the state.
Represented by the Head of Marketing, Mr. Tony Egbe, Alhaji Abimiku assured them of the Station’s commitment to partner with them on community awareness around general prevention and public health
The Advocacy Visit climax with question and answers from both Organizations in promoting routinization of Human Papiloma Virus vaccination.
