Balkis Muftau, 12, closed her eyes as the tiny needle entered her upper left arm, but the sting lasted only a few seconds. She placed a piece of cotton on the injection site and joined her classmates at Adeta Primary School who were queuing to receive their dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
“We don’t want to die young. We were waiting for the vaccine and we are very happy to have finally been able to get it.”
– Balkis Muftau, 12 ans
On the morning of Wednesday, May 29, there was an unusual atmosphere in this school in the upscale neighborhoods of Ilorin, capital of Kwara State (north-central Nigeria). Teaching had been temporarily suspended and more than 200 teenage girls aged 9 to 14 were gathered in the courtyard, where a team of health workers were busy administering the vaccine.
“It went really well,” Balkis said excitedly.
A volunteer promotes the HPV vaccine at the Moro market.
Credit: LEAH Foundation
The HPV vaccine, which provides lifelong protection, prevents over 90% of cervical cancer cases, the second leading cancer killer in Nigeria among women aged 15 to 44. About 13,700 new cases and 7,000 deaths were recorded in the country in 2022 alone.
To stem the tide of HPV infections, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency launched a campaign in October 2023 to administer 7.7 million free doses to girls. This was the first phase of a major vaccination campaign aimed at protecting some 16 million girls by 2025, carried out with the support of various partners including Gavi, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The first phase of the campaign was conducted last year in schools and communities in 15 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Phase II began in May, with Kwara being one of the states targeted for the second wave of vaccinations.
NIGERIA: THE FIGHT AGAINST THE HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS IN A FEW FIGURES
The phase I of the campaign, launched in October 2023, has made it possible to vaccinate 5,3 millions of girls in 15 states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The phase IIwhich began in May 2024 and has already protected 7 million girls in 21 states, is continuing.
With the introduction of the HPV vaccine into routine immunization programmes in states across the country, Nigeria is expected to have vaccinated some 16 millions young girls by 2025.
Kwara health officials had set a target of vaccinating more than 80 percent of the eligible population within a five-day intensive campaign which took place from 27 have 31 May.
“We heard on the radio that it was good”
“Some health officials had already come to tell us that cervical cancer was a deadly disease and recommended that we get vaccinated to avoid it,” Balkis told VaccinesWork. “The school also invited our parents to an information meeting about the vaccine. We don’t want to die young. We were waiting for the vaccine and we are very happy to have finally been able to get it.”
Amudalat Alabi, the school’s deputy principal, acknowledged that the turnout was impressive, thanks to an intensive awareness campaign and the cooperation of parents.
“The wives of the current governor of Kwara and the previous governor have been mobilising for the vaccine and campaigning on different media platforms. We are also sensitising parents and they are cooperating with us.
“However, some parents have opposed the vaccination of their daughters. We will invite them to another meeting, perhaps with health workers present, to better explain to them what is involved. We hope they will reconsider their decision,” she adds.
However, not all girls of age to be vaccinated are in school. So, the vaccinators also went to the community health posts. In Idigba, about two kilometers from the primary school, the girls, accompanied by their parents, were already numerous when the vaccination team arrived around noon.
Aisha Abdullahi’s parents were not at home, but the 11-year-old, who helps her mother run a small candy shop, spontaneously went to health officials to get vaccinated.
“My mother had already told me to go [me faire vacciner contre le VPH] because she had heard on the radio that it was good and that it helped prevent cancer [du col de l’utérus]”Some of my friends whose parents were away did the same thing,” she says.
Ready, set, go…
Adeta Primary School and Idigba School were among the 30 schools and communities in Ilorin metropolis visited by the team led by Mojisola Sulyman, a Community Health Worker, during the vaccination week. According to her, everything went well; and if the vaccination campaign was a success, it was largely because of the intensive sensitization campaign that preceded it.
“The government and civil society organizations have been promoting HPV vaccination on television, radio, social media platforms and in communities. We [les agents de santé] We also went to schools to inform teachers and their students about this,” she said.
Kwara State, which was part of the second phase of the national HPV vaccination campaign, benefited from the experience of other states. “In some states that participated in the first phase, many parents were reluctant to vaccinate their children because they were not properly informed. To avoid this kind of situation in Kwara, the sensitization campaign started in November last year and it has been very helpful. It has made our job much easier. My mobile team has vaccinated over 5,000 eligible girls,” she told VaccinesWork.
First Ladies Take Over
The First Lady of Kwara, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaw, opened the state-level vaccination campaign launching ceremony, while one of her predecessors worked to galvanize enthusiasm for the initiative.
Among the organisations that have been campaigning for HPV vaccination in the weeks leading up to the campaign launch is LEAH Foundation, a cancer and child protection organisation founded by Dr Omolewa Ahmed, wife of the former governor. Volunteer staff from the foundation have stepped up their outreach to villages, markets and schools to provide children and their parents with information about the HPV vaccine.
According to Dr Ahmed’s statements on the second day of the vaccination campaign in Kwara State, the acceptance of the HPV vaccine was already impressive in Moro Local Government Area (rural area of Kwara State).
“A lot of parents were excited that their daughters could get the vaccine. Many of them became ambassadors and talked about it. We went from house to house, from shop to shop, talking to everyone about the importance of the HPV vaccine. We met people in small groups and in markets, and talked to them to make sure everyone understood the message. Our vision is a world where no woman has to suffer from cervical cancer,” she says.
Community and religious leaders take over
Community and religious leaders have taken up the torch, continuing door-to-door outreach and dispelling unfounded rumours about the vaccine. Folorunso Akanbi, a youth leader in Idigba community, says he has spent his time talking to young people and their families about the benefits of the vaccine.
“Anything that can protect our children is more than welcome. That is why we support the awareness-raising actions carried out by the government. Most girls [éligibles] in my community have already been vaccinated, either at school or at home. My daughter was vaccinated on Thursday [le 30 mai] at school, and she showed me her vaccination record,” he adds.
“Many parents were thrilled that their daughters could get the vaccine. Many of them became ambassadors and spread the word. We went from house to house, from shop to shop, talking to everyone about the importance of the HPV vaccine. We met people in small groups and in markets, and talked to them to make sure everyone got the message. Our vision is a world where no woman has to suffer from cervical cancer.”
– Dr. Omolewa Ahmed, LEAH Foundation, Former First Lady of Kwara State
Hajara Isiaka, a mother of five, was initially hesitant to let her two daughters, aged 10 and 13, get vaccinated, but she admits that activists, particularly the youth group led by Folorunso Akanbi, have changed her mind.
“I was afraid that the vaccine would harm them, but I finally accepted it when I was told that it was safe and effective in protecting them against cervical cancer. They took it and did not complain of any side effects,” she said.
Moro: A volunteer provides information to families about the HPV vaccine.
Credit: LEAH Foundation
At an event marking the start of the mass vaccination campaign on May 27, Dr Haliru Ndanusa, Emir of Shonga, pledged to continue using his position as a religious and traditional leader in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State to encourage uptake of the HPV vaccine.
“We will continue to work to dispel all rumors about the tolerability of the vaccine,” he added.
