“Congratulations to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for their commitment to safeguarding the future of adolescent girls by expanding access to the life-saving HPV vaccine in Bangladesh,” said Thabani Maphosa, managing director of country program delivery at Gavi, the vaccine alliance. , “Achieving comprehensive coverage will be integral to protecting the health and potential of all girls and reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the country. Gavi is proud to collaborate on this important vaccine introduction to help save lives.
Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). However, a single dose of the HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent cervical cancer, making this campaign an important step towards eliminating this threat.
“It is a tragedy that millions of women in Bangladesh die from cervical cancer, a disease that can be prevented by giving girls a single dose of vaccine at an early age. We are pleased to support the Government in introducing the HPV vaccine, a vaccine that will save millions of lives and help protect the future of adolescent girls across the country,” said Mr. Sheldon Yate, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh.
UNICEF and WHO are collaborating closely with the government to ensure the successful implementation of the vaccination campaign. Health workers have been given extensive training, and orientation sessions have been held to include teachers, parents and religious leaders, to ensure that no girl is left behind.