North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) has applauded parental acceptance of the roll out of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine as an effective life saving immunization.

“The Community mobilization and consultation with school communities has ensured that parents are informed to make healthy lifelong decisions for their children. The HPV vaccination campaign is an investment in the health of our young girls and that of future generation of women from contracting cancer of the cervix,” Premier Thandi Modise said.

The provincial government has budgeted R6 million for the roll out of the national vaccination which commenced with the first dose being administered as from the 17 February-14 March 2014 through the Integrated School Health programme implemented by sub district school health teams. For the adequate lifetime protection against cervical cancer to be achieved, the World Health Organisation recommends that a minimum of two doses should be administered with a six months interval between doses before a girl is sexually active.

Girls aged nine and above in grade 4 in all public schools across the province who received the first dose will receive the second dose to be administered from 29 September to 24 October 2014.

From next year, the target will be extended to other groups but girls in grade 4 each year will be the main target group.

Cancer of the cervix caused by HPVs transmitted through sexual contact is among the common cancers affecting women in sub-Saharan Africa. Women in the region are said to be 5 times more at risk than their European counterparts.

In South Africa cervical cancer is ranked as number 13 on the list of causes of deaths among females resulting in 67000 cases and 3498 annual deaths while it is among the first ten causes of death for women above the age of 45 years in the North West Province.-TDN
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