Gauteng Health Health fights cervical cancer in local schools

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common and leading cause of cancer deaths among women in South Africa, particularly among adolescents and women aged 15 to 44.

Over 70 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by the infection to the cervix (mouth of the womb) by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted.

In the country, more than 5 000 new cases are reported every year and most are fatal.

The Gauteng Department of Health is currently running the HPV vaccination first round campaign in all public primary and special schools in Gauteng which commenced on February 05 and will end on March 20.

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The campaign is mainly targeted at Grade 5 girls aged from nine years and above, and are vaccinated with a single dose of the Cervarix HPV Vaccine which is very safe in preventing the HPV infection caused by type 16 and 18 HPV strains.

During the previous vaccination drive in September to October 2023, a total of 74 359 out of 87 910 which is 84.6 percent of Grade 5 girls were fully vaccinated with HPV second dose vaccine. Those girls who were not yet nine years old or were absent during the campaign will be given their catch-up single doses.

Unlike in the previous years, the vaccine is now administered in a single dose instead of two.

The MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko appealed to parents, caregivers and legal guardians who have not yet signed the consent form to do so to ensure that their children do not miss out on the HPV single dose vaccination campaign.

“We wish to appeal to those who have not signed the consent to think about the long-term implications of not having their children immunised.

“By giving consent, you are taking a responsible step to ensure that we save the future of our girls, a single dose at a time,” MEC said.

A mother of an eligible girl child aged nine, Matshidiso Luta (39) from Vereeniging, who is also a cervical cancer survivor said she was pleased that she received the consent form and gave permission for the school health team to administer the HPV vaccine to her daughter.

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“I feel very blessed and relieved knowing that my daughter will get the HPV vaccine to protect her against cervical cancer.

“I do not want to see her go through the same stressful, difficult and painful time I went through during my battle with the disease,” said Luta.

A consent form that is signed and ticked on all the boxes at the beginning of the year is used for routine comprehensive Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) and is valid for the whole year. ISHP includes school health screening eye health, hearing, oral assessment, nutritional assessments, deworming and onsite health services.