Nigeria to vaccinate 7.7 million girls against leading cause of cervical cancer

In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths among women aged between 15 and 44.

In 2020 – the latest year for which data is available – the country recorded 12,000 new cases and 8,000 deaths from cervical cancer.

As a parent myself, I have four daughters, all of them have had the same HPV vaccine to protect them against cervical cancer.

With support from WHO country office in Nigeria and other partners, more than 35,000 health workers have so far been trained in preparation for the campaign and subsequent vaccine delivery in all health facilities.

“This is a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s efforts to lower the burden of cervical cancer – one of the few cancers which can potentially be eliminated through vaccination,” says Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria.

With the HPV vaccine now available in Nigeria for eligible adolescent girls at no cost, communities now have the most effective tool to fight cervical cancer, and the nation has an opportunity, collectively, to save millions of lives,” says Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi.

“In our shared quest for a brighter future, the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Nigeria represents a monumental stride towards safeguarding our girls from the grips of cervical cancer