As the world marks the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, South Africa reports promising outcomes from its HPV vaccination campaign
Time to read: 01:21
Time to listen: 03:01
Published on MedED: 17 November 2024
Type of article: News
MedED Catalogue Reference: MNG0060
Category: News
Category Cross-reference: Women's Health
Keywords: Vaccination, HPV, cervical cancer, health program, public health
Top
Type of article: News
MedED Catalogue Reference: MNG0060
Category: News
Category Cross-reference: Women's Health
Keywords: Vaccination, HPV, cervical cancer, health program, public health
Top
17 November 2024, 15:15
As South Africa observes Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, efforts are ongoing to reduce the high incidence of the disease in the country.
Globally, cervical cancer is a major global health challenge, with 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths reported in 2022. Locally, 13,800 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually, making it the second most common cancer in South African women.
As the world marks the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action, South Africa reports promising outcomes from its HPV vaccination campaign.
In response to this crisis, the DoH launched its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in 2014, targeting girls in Grade 5 (aged 9 years and older) in public and special schools.
Since its launch, the program has achieved significant coverage. To date, over 7.1 million doses have been administered, protecting more than 4 million girls. Approximately 85% of girls aged 9-15 in public schools and around 75% of all girls in this age group nationwide have been vaccinated, demonstrating the campaign's widespread reach and effectiveness.
The programme was extended to private schools in 2024 to ensure broader coverage.
The success of the HPV vaccination rollout is attributed to strong political commitment, collaboration between Health and Education Ministries, and dedicated funding from National Treasury.
Despite progress in vaccination, cervical screening and treatment lag, prompting the Department of Health to expand HPV testing, now active in 17 out of 52 districts, with plans for further rollout.
Additionally, the Department of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, is conducting capacity training for clinicians to enhance their skills in cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
The Department of Health has called on parents to ensure eligible girls receive missed doses at public health facilities to enhance protection against cervical cancer.
This story was compiled from various resources including:
17 November 2024 | DoH | SA makes progress with HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer
18 November 2024 | WHO | Who and Partners Rally Cervical Cancer Elimination Efforts
Back to top
Disclaimer
This article is compiled from various resources researched and compiled by the contributor. It is in no way presented as an original work. Every effort has been made to attribute quotes and content correctly. Where possible all information has been independently verified. The Medical Education Network bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies which may occur from the use of third-party sources. If you have any queries regarding this article contact us
Fact-checking Policy
The Medical Education Network makes every effort to review and fact-check the articles used as source material in our summaries and original material. We have strict guidelines in relation to the publications we use as our source data, favouring peer-reviewed research wherever possible. Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained here is an accurate reflection of the original material. Should you find inaccuracies, out of date content or have any additional issues with our articles, please make use of the contact us form to notify us.
Rating
