By Precious Oham
The Technical Working Group on the elimination of Cervical Cancer in Ekiti State on Thursday called for the support of the media towards sensitising residents of the state on the benefits of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The group made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ekiti State Council in Ado-Ekiti.
Leading the delegation, the State Health Educator, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Oguntoye Olajumoke appealed to the media to support the efforts of the group in creating awareness about the benefits of then vaccine and correct the wrong impression being circulated by some unpatriotic individuals.
She faulted the misconceptions about the vaccine saying that girls aged 9-14 years will receive a single dose of the vaccine to prevent infection with HPV types 16 and 18 that are known to cause cervical cancers.
According to her, the vaccine is being provided for free by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency with support from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.
In his address, Chairman of NUJ, Ekiti State Council, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi assured the group of the maximum cooperation of the media to project the immunization exercise.
He added that the immunization exercise would be a great advantage to the society while urging the group to organise media orientation programmes to practicing media professionals in the state to further equip them with necessary information and facts about the exercise.
Similarly, UNICEF Consultant for Ekiti State, Pharm. Jimoh Isiaka Adebisi affirmed that residents of the state especially the less-privileged in the society will benefit more from the exercise.
Also, Mrs Olomade Toyin Felicia, Assistant State Immunization Officer called on parents and community leaders to avail themselves with their girl-child at the various health centres in the state.