Health professionals are calling on the government to extend the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to boys as part of efforts to reduce cervical cancer in the country.
 
The PEADATO Foundation, in partnership with the Ankase Methodist Hospital, organized a free cervical cancer screening exercise for women in a the Ankase community. Beyond the screening, health experts used the opportunity to stress the need for a national strategy that includes vaccinating boys.
 
Senior Midwifery Officer, Eunice Adu Arhin, explained that cervical cancer is mainly linked to sexually transmitted infections, particularly HPV. She noted that while much attention has been placed on screening women, men also play a key role in the transmission of the virus.
 
“To me I think there can be great changes and impact because we get it from men and I think that when it comes to cervical screening we center our minds more on women. Some of the country screen men, they just give them the vaccine but here we just center on the women so if the vaccine can be extended to our boys too I think it can help,” she explained.
 
The health worker emphasized that focusing only on women limits the fight against cervical cancer. According to her, vaccinating boys will help reduce the spread of the virus and protect future generations.
 
Miss Arhin also highlighted the importance of regular screening for sexually active women, since cervical cancer does not show early signs.
 
“So, mostly women who are active sexually, they are the ones who are at risk of having cervical cancer. So, they all have to be screened, especially if your status says you have to be screened for cervical cancer. Because mostly you can’t just detect as the person walks by, but the person has to be screened. It’s not like the other ones that the signs and symptoms are visible so when you are screened, you will be able to detect it,” she said.
 
Senior Officer of the PEADATO Foundation, Abena Oforiwaa Dadzie, said the screening initiative was influenced by the cervical cancer awareness campaign by the World Health Organization.
 
“We consulted hospitals, and Ankase hospital being a Methodist missionary hospital accepted our partnership to make this cervical cancer today a reality. So, it was influenced by the cervical cancer awareness campaign by World Health Organization (WHO) in January,” she explained.