The national government through the Ministry of Health is advocating for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as it raises awareness of cervical cancer.
In Kenya, Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women from the ages of 15 to 44 years with 99 per cent of the cases reported stemming from infection by the HPV.
The Principal Secretary (PS) for Public Health Mary Muthoni in a statement on Saturday, January 11, 2025, encouraged women to embrace regular screening in honour of the cervical cancer awareness month.
In addition, Muthoni urged parents and guardians to avail their girls aged ten to fourteen for HPV vaccination which is administered free of charge. She further called for collaboration in the fight against the disease.
“January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a time to create awareness, encourage women to embrace regular screening and parents to avail their girls aged 10-14 for HPV vaccination and call for collaborations in the fight against the disease,” PS Muthoni said.
What is HPV
According to Kenya’s State Department for Medical Services, HPV is a very common sexually transmitted infection that most people will have at some point, often without any symptoms.
The health department says the high-risk types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer, however, vaccination and regular screening can help in prevention and early detection.
HPV vaccines
Kenya introduced the HPV vaccination program into the routine immunisation schedule in 2019 targeting girls aged ten to fourteen.
In March 2024, Kenya announced its plans to adopt a single dose of the vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, according to the World Health Organisation directives from the initial two jabs six months apart.
According to the National Cancer Institute, Cervical cancer is the deadliest cancer among women in Kenya, killing more than 3,200 women every year.
The data from the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and Ministry of Medical Services indicates that cervical cancer in Kenya is estimated to be 2,454 women per year with the annual number of deaths estimated at 1,676 women.
In the absence of accelerated interventions for screening, detection and early treatment,
the incidence of cervical cancer is projected to rise to 4,261 resulting in 2955 deaths in 2025.
January is Cervical Cancer awareness month,a time to create awareness , encourage women to embrace regular screening and parents to avail their girls aged 10-14 for HPV vaccination and call for collaborations in the fight against the disease.
— Mary Muthoni Muriuki, CBS, HSC (@psmuthoni) January 11, 2025
In the interview with KMB Media,I… pic.twitter.com/jr8CRteu3l
