A non-governmental organization, Hope for Future Generations has implored the government to facilitate the Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) for teenagers.

The Executive Director of HFFG, Mrs Cecilia Senoo said the government and donor agencies needed to consider the increasing rate of cervical cancer and add the vaccine to its national vaccination programme.

“It is important that the government invests in vaccines so that children, all the youth, all the girls in Ghana will be protected from cervical cancer”, she said on the sidelines of a training workshop in Ho.

The workshop organized by her outfit was on vaccine advocacy for selected Queens in the Volta Region.

It formed part of the basis of a four-year project dubbed “Financing Immunization Advocacy Response (FAIR) Project “. The project aims to equip Queen mothers to undertake projects aimed at increasing community education on new vaccines and increasing domestic financing for immunization campaigns.

Madam Senoo expressed hope the vaccine would soon be part of the government’s routine immunization programme to ensure full protection of the future generation against preventable diseases.

She indicated it would be entirely difficult for individuals to procure the two-dose vaccine which is priced at $200 per dose on the Ghanaian market.

“We are hoping that by the end of the year, HPV will be part of our EPI programme and that will mean that it will be accessible to people, as it stands now, it is very expensive.

One dose is about $200, how many people can afford it? How many parents can afford it? It is very important that we prioritize our girls to be able to have access to vaccines, even in the rural areas so that they are protected for the future”, she said.

She also called on stakeholders to invest in preventive health by embarking on extensive public education on preventable diseases including cervical cancer, and vaccines to do away with misinformation, myths, and cultural beliefs.

“We need to invest a lot into preventive health and education and make sure that people in the hard-to-reach areas also have access to correct and timely information to take good care of themselves”, she concluded.

HFFG is in this regard implementing the “Financing Immunization Advocacy Response (FAIR) Project“ tailored towards increasing advocacy on co-financing of vaccines procured by the government and donor agencies.

Mama Dzitri II of Wli Agorviofe in the Hohoe Municipality appealed to the government to ensure the timely release of funds budgeted for vaccines supplied to the country.

This she believes would prevent a shortage of vaccines, in order not to put the lives of infants at risk.

“We the Queens are appealing to the government that the children are our future leaders so they should help us so that the preventable disease can be eradicated“, she said.

According to the Human Papillomavirus and Related Cancers, Fact Sheet 2023, Cervical Cancer ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women in Ghana, with an estimate of 2,797 being diagnosed with the disease. 1,699 died because of the disease.

Females 15 years and above are at risk of developing cervical cancer if not vaccinated.

Stakeholders are therefore calling for sustained screening and treatment centers for precancers at all levels, hence the need to provide adequate funding.