The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, has disclosed that the Federal Government will be introducing a new anti-cancer vaccine called the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine into the national immunization schedule in 2023 and 2024 to tackle the increasing rate of cervical, anal and oropharyngeal cancers.
Shuaib made this known in Awka recently, during the quarterly review meeting of the South-East Traditional Rulers Committee on primary healthcare delivery. He said HPV is a commonly transmitted infection that can lead to various health issues, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers, noting that the impact of HPV-related diseases is not only physical but also emotional, affecting individuals and families.
The NPHCDA boss, who was represented at the event by the Director of Disease Control and Immunization, Dr Bassey Okposen Bassey, said the engagement with traditional rulers was part of efforts to strengthen primary healthcare facilities and enhance reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health services across the five states of the South-East. He noted that the meeting was aimed at ensuring effective primary healthcare delivery in the South-East region, with a view to supporting health initiatives and providing the necessary technical support.
He stressed that traditional rulers were critical stakeholders in primary healthcare engagements and urged them to continue to champion the cause of primary healthcare delivery in their respective communities. The event was attended by traditional rulers across the five states of the South-East, including Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states, as well as key stakeholders in the health sector.
