The Jigawa Government says 65,000 girls have been vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, in the state.
Dr Kabir Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency,
disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Friday.
Ibrahim said the vaccination was aimed at preventing young girls aged nine to 14 years from cervical cancer.
He explained that the exercise was conducted simultaneously across the 27 local government areas of the state
between Tuesday and Friday.
The permanent secretary added that mop up would be conducted to reach those that missed the vaccine during the four-day exercise.
NAN reports that the Federal Government launched the HPV vaccine initiative on Tuesday for girls between the age of nine
and 14 years to guard against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancer.
The vaccination targets over seven million girls, with the girls receiving a single dose of the vaccine.
NAN also reports that UNICEF had earlier sensitised religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders in the state on the
importance of the vaccine and dangers of cervical cancer.
NAN
