The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced plans to roll out a nationwide vaccination exercise with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The exercise, slated for September 2025, is targeted at girls aged 9-14 years, with the aim of inoculating them against cervical cancer.
According to GHS, the initiative is part of the government’s broader preventive healthcare strategy.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with key partners in the education sector on June 20, 2025, the Director-General of the Service, Prof Samuel Kaba Akoriyea said: “HPV vaccines are safe and well-tolerated. Our Food and Drugs Authority has done its due diligence, and today, Ghana joins 144 WHO member states in implementing this bold step to safeguard our girls.”
He added that Ghana first introduced the HPV vaccine in 2013 in the Greater Accra, Central, and Northern regions and after 12 years, the country is ready to expand the rollout nationwide to protect the next generation of women.
In support of the campaign, the Chief of Health and Nutrition of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)- Ghana, Dr. Manuel Dewez expressed confidence in Ghana’s preparedness and confirmed the arrival of the first shipment of 441,880 doses of the HPV vaccine. Over 2.5 million doses are expected in the coming weeks.
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As the lead agency for vaccine procurement and delivery, UNICEF highlighted that following the campaign, the HPV vaccine will be integrated into Ghana’s national routine immunization programme, offered free of charge to all girls turning nine years old.
The GHS is calling on “educators, health workers, caregivers, and the media to support the campaign through sensitization, pre-registration of eligible girls, and creating enabling environments for vaccination.”
What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection which can affect the skin, genital area and throat. Almost all sexually active people will be infected at some point in their lives, usually without symptoms.”
Symptoms of HPV
Most people with an HPV infection show no symptoms. The immune system usually clears HPV from the body within a year or two with no lasting effects, according to the WHO.
Some HPV infections cause genital warts – small, rough lumps on the vagina, penis or anus and rarely the throat. They may be painful, itchy, or cause bleeding.
- High-risk HPV types may not cause noticeable symptoms until they progress to pre-cancers that may become cervical cancer. It usually takes 15–20 years for cervical cancer to develop after an HPV infection.
- The early changes in cervical cells and precancers mostly do not cause symptoms. Symptoms of cervical cancer may include bleeding between periods or after sexual intercourse or a foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
Treatment and Prevention
There is currently no treatment for HPV infection. Treatments exist for genital warts, cervical pre-cancers, and cervical cancer.
- Vaccination remains the best way to prevent HPV infection, cervical cancer, and other HPV-related cancers.
- HPV vaccines are recommended for girls aged 9-14 years, before they become sexually active. It is also recommended for older adolescents and young adults who have not been vaccinated.
Additional ways to prevent HPV infection include:
- Being a non-smoker or stopping smoking
- Using condoms during sex
- Voluntary male circumcision.
By: Nusrat Essah
Credit for featured image: UNICEF Ghana Facebook
