By Adama Makasuba
The Ministry of Health is advising parents to get their girlchildren immunise against cervical cancer (a disease that infects female genital part), describing the disease as deadly killing a huge number of women unnoticed.
The Ministry’s advice comes amid conspiracy theory around the Humanpapilomavirus vaccine, which many parents were saying the vaccine will cause infertility in girls.
“Cervical cancer is a very serious disease and it’s killing so many women unnoticed, that’s why we are given out the HPV vaccine,” Aja Kandeh told a stakeholder meeting held at ActionAid Gambia office on Mile 7, as the ministry mulls to battle out misinformation about its professional job.
She said the vaccine is among the safest vaccines in the world and that it is 95% effective against cervical cancer.
“So, I am urging you to go have the vaccine or if you have your partner go to the nearest health clinic for check-up,” she said, adding each girl needs a two dose of the vaccine in a year span.
At least 154,000 girls aged 9 -14 years are known to be immunised.
