Malawi to immunise girls against cervical cancer in January

The Malawi government will in January 2019 immunise all girls aged nine against human papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer.

The Country Chief of Health Services, Charles Mwansambo, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said Malawi is currently leading in cervical cancer prevalence in the world.

He said the government had secured support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to conduct the campaign.

The official assured all Malawians that based on previous trials, the immunisation is safe as it proved ideal to immunise the girls with the vaccine before they engage themselves in sexual activities where they can get HPV.

Malawi medical journal of 2017 described cervical cancer as the most common cancer in women in Malawi.

According to the journal, cervical cancer accounts for more than 40 per cent of female cancers and it is a major cause of mortality and morbidity.

Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Statistics shows that 528,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2012 and Malawi had the highest rate of cervical cancer, followed by Mozambique and Comoros.

(Xinhua/NAN)