Inoculating girls early enough against the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is the best investment in the elimination of cervical cancer, the National Cancer Institute chairperson Githinji Gitahi has said.
Gitahi noted that reaching girls before they become sexually active will ensure the disease is eliminated in the country.
He said Human Papilloma Virus which is sexually transmitted is the key cause of cervical cancer amongst other cancers.
Gitahi who was speaking on NTV said there is a need to educate parents and guardians on the need for the girls to get the jab, adding that early vaccination will help them develop immunity against the virus.
“HPV vaccination is the most important investment but has to start early because it is about the HPV virus, you want to develop the immunity before you get the virus,” Gitahi said.
“You don’t give the vaccine to somebody who is already infected because the efficacy is very low, that is why we emphasize giving it to school-going children.”
Despite the availability of the HPV vaccine, uptake remains suboptimal mostly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which led to the closure of schools and restrictions on movement.
The ministry introduced the HPV vaccine in 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic has occasioned suboptimal uptake.
The vaccine is the most effective way to prevent cervical cancer, which kills about 3,500 women in Kenya every year.
When the vaccine was introduced, it was met with resistance from some communities due to misinformation.
"We saw pushback by some communities when it was introduced in 2019 so we must emphasise to our people that we are talking about lives; we can't push back and put lives at risk," Gitahi said.
The ministry has in the recent past intensified school outreach programmes to increase the uptake of the vaccine in the country.
The vaccine helps the body fight off infection by the Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, vulvar, vaginal and penile cancers, as well as genital warts.
The NCI and the Ministry of Health and Education are working together to ensure more school-going girls who are part of the biggest cohort are reached with the jab.
According to the medic, nine women die in Kenya every day from Cervical Cancer with 14 new cases diagnosed daily.
He further notes that considering most cases are diagnosed in hospital and late stage, the data is a gross underestimate since only seven per cent of women claim to have been screened in the last three years.
