Edo Battles Cervical Cancer

The government of Edo State, southsouth Nigeria, has concluded arrangements to administer 91,200 doses of cervical cancer vaccine worth N1.8 billion on girls between age 9 and 13 years in the state.

The cervical cancer vaccine is part of effort by office of the First Lady of Edo State to fight cervical cancer among teenage girls in the state.

The pilot programme will begin with eight local government areas.

To precede the administration of the vaccine is a policy dialogue and town hall enlightenment meetings tomorrow on the cervical cancer prevention vaccines in Benin City and Ubiaja, headquarters of Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State respectively, organised by Edo State Government Economic and Strategy Team (EST).

Godwin Obaseki, Chairman of the Economic and Strategy Team, in a press statement disclosed that the first programme, a policy dialogue will hold at the EST board room, Government House by 9 am and the second programme, a town hall meeting will hold at the Local Government Council Hall, Ubiaja by 1 p.m. Friday, 20 April 20, 2012.

“You will recall that the Edo State Government recently received a donation of 91, 200 doses of cervical cancer prevention vaccines from the GADASIL Access Programme to be administered on girls between the ages of 9 and 13 years in Edo State. The state government has also committed significant resources to this programme and is therefore committed to its implementation through the office of the First Lady and her foundation, HEFMAC. The total value of this donation in naira terms is N1.8bn beginning with eight local governments.

“Ahead of the administration/launch of this programme, series of programmes have been lined up including a policy dialogue in Benin and a town hall meeting in Ubiaja, the headquarters of Esan South East local government where the First Lady hailed from,” the statement added.

—Jethro Ibileke/Benin City