BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a global health concern responsible for approximately 95 percent of cervical cases worldwide.
Minister of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), Paul Popora Bosawai, stressed this at the launch of the National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) catch-up campaign at Nguvia Primary School, Guadalcanal Province, this month.
He said in Solomon Islands, the impact of HPV is increasingly concerning.
Bosawai added that cervical cancer ranks as the top most frequent cancer among Solomon Islands women, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 44, followed by breast cancer.
He told participants at the launch that 44 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer infection and 38 women with breast cancer in 2018.
Moreover, the minister expressed that he is pleased to announce that Solomon Islands, through the Ministry of Health, is taking a decisive step for the commencement of the HPV vaccine rollout, which has immediately started.
“I am indeed grateful that some of our young girls between the ages of 9 years and 14 years in Nguvia School will benefit from the HPV campaign programme, receiving a single dose of HPV vaccine,” he said.
The minister said many more girls will receive their vaccines in the future.
“These young girls will be protected from the Human Papilloma Virus later in life and therefore reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer when they become adult women,” he said.
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