By Erharuyi Joe
The Edo State Government has concluded arrangements on the intensification and continuous routine administration of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine in all Primary Health Centres across the State and other designated health facilities, to effectively execute the initiative.
The Executive Secretary of the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDPHCDA), Dr. Coulson, Oahimire Osoikhia, represented by the State Immunization Officer (SIO), Mrs. Omogun Nogie Elfrida, gave the information during a stakeholders’ engagement, which held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in Benin City. He stated that the routine administration of the HPV vaccine will be outreach-based at health facilities and once a week, over a period of twelve weeks, beginning from Tuesday, 28th October, to December, 2025, across the State.
Dr. Osoikhia guided that the exercise will be for two days respectively in the first two weeks to make up for the lapse, as the exercise was starting behind schedule. He urged parents, guardians and caregivers to take advantage of the time to vaccinate their nine years old daughters.
Amongst other objectives of the stakeholders’ engagement, Dr. Osoikhia stated that participants would be sensitized on the HPV vaccination in Nigeria, provide accurate information about the HPV vaccine, with particular reference to its benefits and safety profile, identify potential roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the successful introduction of the HPV vaccine in the State, all geared towards the implementation of a successful vaccination exercise in Edo State.
The Edo State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Ighodaro Lawani Osawe, while urging stakeholders to use all platforms at their disposal to disseminate the information on the safety and necessity of the HPV vaccine, emphasized that stakeholders’ collaboration has proved to be a major contributor to the success of vaccination exercises. He appreciated traditional and religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), amongst others, urging them to amplify messages on the benefits of the vaccine.
The State Health Education Officer (EDPHCDA), Mrs. Irene Uabor, stated that the stakeholders’ engagement is aimed at intensifying the HPV vaccination in Edo State. She said the State organized a campaign to introduce the vaccine in the year 2024, for female children of nine years. She maintained that the Vaccine is to prevent cervical cancer in the girl child. She described the vaccine as the only Vaccine which helps to prevent a type of cancer caused by the HPV and that there has been the prevalence of such cancer in the State and the Country at large.
She asserted that healthy adults in the society are as a result of safe vaccination, which they had at childhood, advising that beyond the intensification exercise of October to December, 2025, the vaccine can be accessed at all times in all Primary Health Centre and Health facilities which offer routine immunization across the State. She concluded that the HPV vaccine is safe, effective and given free of charge.
Stakeholders in attendance included Local Health Education officers, public and private education principals, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, amongst others.