By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate has rolled out a school-based Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise as part of efforts to protect young girls from cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana.
Following the regional launch of the HPV Vaccination Campaign on October 8, 2025, at the Regional Training Unit in Adabraka, vaccination teams have begun visiting schools across the region to administer the vaccine to girls aged 9 to 14 years.
The teams made their first stop at All Saints Anglican Primary and Junior High School, where hundreds of girls were successfully vaccinated amid health education and awareness sessions.
They later moved to Kanda Estate 1 Basic School, continuing the school-based vaccination drive under the theme “Protect Your Girl Child Against Cervical Cancer.”
“We are taking the vaccine to where the girls are, their schools, to make access easier, safer, and more convenient,” said Dr Robert Amesiya, Acting Regional Director of Health Services.
Dr Amesiya explained that the school outreach forms a critical part of the HPV vaccination strategy, designed to make immunisation accessible to all eligible girls in a safe and familiar environment.
He said the Directorate is working closely with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and community health teams to ensure that every girl within the target age group receives the vaccine, emphasising that prevention through vaccination is more effective and affordable than treatment after infection.
“This is a long-term public health investment in our girls. The HPV vaccine protects them before exposure to the virus, and that protection lasts a lifetime,” he added.
Teachers at the visited schools commended the initiative, describing it as a timely and life-saving intervention. Many expressed appreciation for the health education and sensitisation sessions conducted prior to the vaccination, which helped dispel myths and misconceptions about the vaccine’s safety.
The HPV vaccination campaign combines school outreach, house-to-house visits, market sensitisation, and health facility-based services to ensure comprehensive coverage across the Greater Accra Region.
Health officials reminded the public that the HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and provided free of charge under Ghana’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
“We urge all parents to allow their daughters aged 9 to 14 years to be vaccinated. This is our best chance to eliminate cervical cancer in Ghana,” Dr Amesiya emphasised.
The ongoing school-based vaccination effort marks another major step toward achieving the Ministry of Health’s vision of eliminating cervical cancer through education, prevention, and equitable access to vaccines for every girl in Ghana.
The campaign also aligns with the World Health Organization’s global call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat by 2030.
