HPV is a virus that many contract and they don't even know it. While most people only carry the virus for one to two years, it is easily transmitted and can lead to much more serious conditions, like cervical cancer.
The Ministry of Health, National Cancer Society, and other stakeholders have joined together in an effort to prevent HPV. Today, they announced that HPV will be included in the Belize National Vaccination Schedule for children.
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services - MOH
"There is ample data, two reasons: there is lots of data suggesting that we have higher rates of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, cervical cancer we are identifying in very late stages of the disease. It is not that people are coming in in the early stage. Data from last year, for example, that we have managed to capture in the BHIS, suggest that there were twenty one cases and thirteen patients died as
a result of cervical cancer last year. These are all preventable diseases. HPV is one such preventative measure that we can implement to try to curtail the number of cervical cancer cases. This is about females and even though we won't be addressing the male situation. HPV has also been linked to some oral cancers in male, anal cancers and penile cancers; they are not that frequent, but I also think that we need to be aware of. Based on the attendance rate that we have from schools, which is where most of the girls of this age group are, the standard four classrooms are the ones being selected to be part of this first initial phase; that is an estimated four thousand four hundred girls across Belize."
Since HPV can be transmitted so easily, and these vaccinations only affect a small population, we asked the panel what other preventative measures were being put in place.
Dr. Carol Babb, CEO, Ministry of Education
"We intend to educate all girls. I mean girls and boys; everyone. We intend to do that through our Health and Family Life Education program. So, we are also going to be meeting with our curriculum unit and Doctor Beer and Miss Laura will meet with them and we will ensure that this is included; that this vaccine is included as quickly as possible to ensure that all students are aware of the importance of this vaccine."
So far parent feedback on the initiative has been positive, and plans to roll out the vaccine by the end of the month are underway. Of course, kids will only be given the vaccine after signed approval from their parents.
Email
Print