Bono Regional Health Directorate intensifies HPV vaccination campaign

Correspondence from the Bono Region

The Bono Regional Health Directorate has intensified efforts to protect girls against cervical cancer with the rollout of the National Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunisation (PIRI) campaign, focusing on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination across the region.

The campaign, which targets eligible girls aged between 9 and 14 years, seeks to address misconceptions surrounding the vaccine and encourage parents, guardians, schools and communities to support vaccination efforts.

According to the Bono Regional Director of Health Service, Dr Abdulai Abukari, the exercise would adopt both school-based and community-based strategies to reach eligible girls in all districts across the region.

With a total of 8,497 doses of HPV vaccines administered between January and August 2026, representing 63.5 percent of the region’s annual target, Dr Abdulai Abukari explained that persistent infection with high-risk strains of HPV is responsible for about 99 percent of cervical cancer cases.

He underscored the importance of the campaign, noting that cervical cancer remains the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Ghana, making prevention through vaccination a major public health priority.

“We have intensified the HPV vaccination campaign in the region because the vaccine provides the greatest protection when administered before exposure to the virus”.

Community support crucial

The Directorate believes greater community involvement will help dispel misinformation, address concerns and improve public confidence in the HPV vaccine.

It is therefore calling on traditional authorities, media organisations, community leaders, religious groups, educational institutions, parents and guardians to work closely with health personnel to ensure that every eligible girl is reached and allowed to receive the vaccine.

Why HPV vaccination matters

With data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) revealing that nearly 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer and the loss of about 2,000 women are recorded yearly in Ghana, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has introduced a nationwide two-round campaign to protect eligible girls against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.

The exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), through its School Health Education Programme (SHEP), and other partners.