Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Nigerian Governors Wifes Forum on Thursday endorsed the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Initiative).
The governors wives also pledged to vigorously advocate for adopting six months of paid maternity leave, engaging executive governors and state legislators to promote this policy across all states for improved maternity and child welfare.
The Initiative targets to vaccinate 16 million young girls against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) by the years 2025.
The spouses of Nigeria Governors announced the endorsement in a communique after their meeting in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
The meeting, which held at the State Executive Council Chambers of the new Government House, had in attendance wives of governors from 23 states.
Chairperson of the Forum, Ambassador Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, read the Communique.
The Forum re-affirmed members commitment to sustained advocacy for HPV vaccine uptake to protect young girls health throughout the country.
The Communique reads: “The First Ladies have collectively endorsed the Global Alliance for Vaccinesand Immunization, Gavi Initiative, committing to sustainedadvocacy for HPV vaccine uptake to protect our girls health.
“The next line of action is a selective sensitisation of wives of local government chairmen on HPV vaccine and cancer awareness,” they said.
Ambassador Abdulrazaq said the governor’s wives also affirmed yet again their unwavering resolve to keep up the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in their various states.
The Forum members also resolved to lobby their husbands and Lawmakers to legalise and implement the eight months paid maternity leave.
“The First Ladies have pledged to vigorously advocatefor adopting six months of paid maternity leave, engaging executive governors and state legislators to promote this policy across all states for improved maternity and child welfare,” they said.
The meeting also observed a one-minute silence for the late Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs Patience Umo Eno.
The GAVI Initiative driven HPV vaccination programme kicked off in 2023 with the aim of vaccinating 7.7 million girls against the virus said to be the leading cause of cervical cancer.
It was the largest number in a single round of HPV vaccination in the African region – in a vaccination drive against the virus that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer.
Girls aged 9–14 years received a single dose of the vaccine, which is highly efficacious in preventing infection with HPV types 16 and 18 that are known to cause at least 70% of cervical cancers.
In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths among women aged between 15 and 44 years.
According to the World Health Organisation, in 2020 – the latest year for which data is available – the country recorded 12, 000 new cases and 8000 deaths from cervical cancer.
The GAVI HPV campaign which kicked off in October 2023 in conjunction with National Primary Health Care Development Agency aims to protect some 16 million girls by 2025 – with support from UNICEF the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners.
Phase I of the roll-out which was carried out in schools and communities saw some saw 5.3 million girls vaccinated across 16 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in 2023.
Phase II which began in May 2024– has already seen 7 million girls in 21 states protected – and counting.
With the HPV vaccine entering into routine immunisation schedules in states across the country, Nigeria hopes to immunise some 16 million girls by 2025.
