The Kwara government says it has concluded plans to vaccinate 311,000 girls between the ages of nine and 14 against Human papillomavirus (HPV).

Michael Oguntoye, a director at the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, stated this in Ilorin on Sunday.

Mr Oguntoye told journalists on the sideline of an engagement with media stakeholders on the introduction of the vaccine that the exercise would begin on May 27 and would last for five days.

He said the vaccination exercise was initiated by the federal government, with support from John Snow Incorporated (JSI), HPV Vaccine Acceleration Programme Partners Initiative (HAPPI) Consortium and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr Oguntoye added that the five-day campaign, which would be inaugurated by the wife of Kwara governor,  Olufolake Abdulrazaq, would target both school and out-of-school girls.

“The HPV vaccine will be available across all primary health care facilities in the state. It is efficacious and is not an attempt to reduce population or family planning strategy,” he said.

In her remarks, Dupe Shittu, social mobilisation officer, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, described HPV as a group of viruses that could infect the genital areas of both men and women.

She explained that while many HPV infections go away on their own, certain strains of the virus could lead to more serious health issues.

“Our nation carries a heavy burden of cervical cancer cases, impacting the lives of our mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives,” she said.

Also,c the social and behavioural change communication officer, JSI, advised journalists to verify and disseminate the right information to the public.

(NAN)