GHS and WHO to launch Nationwide HPV Vaccination Campaign on October 7

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will launch a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign on October 7, 2025, targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years in a renewed effort to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s public health strategy, shifting from the earlier three-dose schedule introduced in 2013 to a single-dose, lifetime protection against high-risk HPV types known to cause cervical cancer and genital warts.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, September 29, Dr. Selorm Kutsoati, Programmes Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) at the Ghana Health Service, emphasized that the five-day campaign will be followed by integration into the routine immunisation schedule at schools and health facilities across the country.

“We’ve learnt a lot from the pilot programme, and this time, we’re adopting an age-based strategy rather than a grade-based one,” Dr. Kutsoati explained. “We’re targeting girls aged 9 to 14 years, and from October 7, we will begin a five-day nationwide campaign. After that, the vaccine will be available routinely in health facilities and schools.”

According to Dr. Kutsoati, the campaign aims to reach approximately 440,000 girls during the initial rollout, with a long-term goal of covering up to 2.5 million eligible girls nationwide.

The vaccine will be accessible at various health service points, including weighing centres, community clinics, and schools, ensuring broad access across both urban and rural areas.

The introduction of the HPV vaccine into Ghana’s routine immunisation programme is expected to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana.