Health workers from the City of Joburg’s Health Department will be visiting public primary and special schools across the city as part of a campaign to provide the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to female learners.
The campaign, which started in 2014 and is conducted annually, is a joint intervention by the City of Johannesburg together with the Gauteng Department of Health and the Basic Education Department. A total of 518 schools and 30 000 learners will be reached across the city.
The campaign will take place under the theme of “Protecting South African Girls against Cancer of the Cervix”. The vaccine is administered in a schedule of two doses at six month intervals, targeting all young girls in grade four who are nine years and older.
The first dose (HPV1) will be administered from 07 February to 16 March 2018. The second dose (HPV2) will resume on 07 August and will continue until 14 September 2018.
The purpose of this intervention is to prevent cervical cancer and also protect learners against worm infestations.
80% of sexually active people will get an HPV infection during their life. Around 9 000 new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in Southern Africa per year, with an estimated age-standardized incidence rate of 31.5 per 100 000 women.
Data from local studies suggests important regional differences and an increase in the prevalence of cytological abnormalities when compared with historical data. The high prevalence of HIV infection, late initiation of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), unscreened population and the high incidence of cervical cancer all suggest that HPV infections and precursors to cervical cancer are both unusually common among Southern African women, and may be on the increase.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infects the skin and mucosal epithelium. There are over 200 types of the Papilloma Virus, but only some of them infect humans. A sub-set of HPV types infect the genital epithelium, with the low risk types causing genital warts which rarely develop into cancer. When HPV infects the cervix, it usually causes benign lesions. The high risk types can cause lesions which develop into cancer. There are 13 high risk HPV types that cause cervical cancer. In most cases, the immune system will clear the HPV infection.
“Cervical cancer is the only type of cancer which is 100% preventable” said Dr Mpho Phalatse, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development.
Although cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, globally nearly 500 000 women suffer from the disease every year, and more than 270 000 die. 80% of these deaths occur in developing countries, where cervical cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Primary prevention through vaccination against the virus stops the disease before it can start. However, vaccination takes decades to impact. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates the number of women with cervical cancer will double by 2020, even with vaccination.
Parents and care givers will receive the consent forms from schools which should be signed and returned to the schools. No leaner will be vaccinated without parental consent.
Dr Phalatse is encouraging all parents and caregivers to assist health workers by signing consent forms that will allow the health workers to administer the vaccine to female learners.
For media queries please contact:
Lesego Mathibela
Stakeholder Manager
Office of the MMC – Health and Social Development
Tel: (011) 4076725
Mobile: 061 497 8286
E-mail: LesegoMat@joburg.org.za
Or
Dominic Mahlangu (Strategic Advisor)
Office of the MMC – Health and Social Development
Tel: (011) 407 6832
Mobile: 081 230 3299
Email: DominicM@joburg.org.za