Cervical Cancer: Nigerian Pharmacists Urge Parents to Support Teenage Girls’ HPV Vaccination

Parents have been urged not to block their teenage daughters from receiving the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which health experts say is one of the most effective ways of preventing cervical cancer later in life.

The call was made on Monday by the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) during the launch of a pharmacy-based immunisation programme in Ibadan, Oyo State.

ACPN Chairman in Oyo, Pharmacist Adebayo Gbadamosi, warned that too many women in Nigeria are diagnosed with cervical cancer in their reproductive years despite the disease being largely preventable through early vaccination.

“If we equip our children before they become sexually active with vaccines to prevent cervical cancer at age 13, then women in their later years will hardly develop the disease. Vaccination is safe, it saves lives, and it helps us prevent mortality and elongate life,” Gbadamosi told journalists.

The immunisation initiative is being implemented by the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board in partnership with ACPN and Population Services International Nigeria. It aims to make vaccines more accessible by involving community pharmacists, who are often the most reachable healthcare providers.

Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji (represented by Dr Adeyemi Adewole), said the project’s overall goal is to expand vaccine coverage across the state.

The rollout will focus primarily on HPV vaccines for teenage girls but will also provide other essential vaccines.

Gbadamosi emphasised that healthcare delivery must be collaborative, not competitive. “With pharmacists involved, everyone can access immunisation close to where they live, without relying only on hospitals,” he said.

Cervical cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria, but global health experts note that widespread HPV vaccination could dramatically reduce mortality rates.