By Joycelyn Tseyiboe Ama
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is set to roll out a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign from 7 October 2025, targeting 2.5 million girls to protect them against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the Programme Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Selorm Kutsoati, explained that while HPV infections are common and often asymptomatic, persistent infections can lead to cervical, anal, vaginal, throat, and penile cancers later in life.
She noted that most women are likely to contract HPV by the age of 25. “The challenge is that we cannot tell who will clear the virus, and a few people will retain it and develop chronic HPV infection. It is this chronic infection that can lead to cancer 10 to 20 years after the initial infection,” she said.
Dr Selorm explained how HPV causes cancer, saying, “HPV will cause mutations depending on where the virus is found.” She added that it causes cervical cancer in women, and the first signs of cervical cancer include bloody discharge, foul-smelling discharge, and constipation with bleeding, usually at a later stage of the disease.
She stressed that vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy, describing it as the “low-hanging fruit” compared to screening and treatment, which remain costly and less accessible. She added that just one dose of the HPV vaccine is now proven to be effective, a change from the initial three-dose regimen.
The campaign will run intensively for five days, after which the HPV vaccine will be added to Ghana’s routine immunization schedule. Health teams will visit schools, communities, and hard-to-reach areas to ensure nationwide coverage, including girls living with disabilities.
Dr Selorm also addressed public misconceptions, particularly fears that the vaccine could cause infertility or encourage early sexual activity. “This vaccine has been used globally for almost 20 years and in Ghana for over a decade. It is safe, it does not affect fertility, and it does not give anyone a licence to be sexually active,” she emphasized.
She further cautioned that while HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer, other risk factors such as early sexual activity, multiple partners, alcohol use, and smoking, including shisha, also increase the risk.
Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women in Ghana, often detected at late stages due to the lack of symptoms in its early development. The new HPV vaccination campaign is expected to drastically reduce cases in the coming years.
