“Indonesia’s Ministry of Health plans to provide free HPV vaccination to reduce cervical cancer rates”

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) continues to strive to reduce cervical cancer rates in Indonesia. One of them is a plan to make the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine free of charge.

“HPV is to prevent cervical cancer, yes, which can be prevented by immunization. The program will continue, not only for children, but for all,” said spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, dr. Mohammad Syahril at the Ministry of Health building, Jakarta, Wednesday (24/5/2023).

However, Syahril added, the implementation time and target age of the free HPV vaccination program for adults cannot be ascertained.

“Not yet, but it’s already included in the program. This means that the government, in the sense that the Ministry of Health must make its technical guidelines clearer about the readiness of the vaccine, then the readiness of the guidelines and technical implementation,” explained dr. Syahril.

“For example, at what age will it start, then how many times will it be given, and what is the priority,” he added.

Previously, the Ministry of Health announced that the HPV vaccine could be received free of charge by fifth and sixth grade girls in all regions of Indonesia starting in 2023. This is a follow-up program after only being made free in eight provinces in 2022.

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said that this free HPV vaccination will be part of the routine immunization program.

“The free HPV vaccination program is given to prevent the number of people with cervical cancer (cervical cancer) in women,” he said.

HPV vaccination serves as body protection from certain types of HPV that can cause cancer or genital warts. This vaccine is known as Gardasil 9 which can basically protect:

HPV types 16 and 18, namely the two types that cause 80 percent of cases of cervical cancer

HPV types 6 and 11, which can cause 80 percent of cervical cancer cases

Five other types of HPV (types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) can cause cancer of the cervix, anus, vulva or vagina, penis, or throat.

(ha/ha)