By Murtala Muhammad
The Bauchi State Government has launched this year’s first round of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW), alongside Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign targeting nine-year-old girls across the state.
The Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said the week-long campaign will provide health interventions such as Vitamin A supplements, deworming medication, nutrition counselling, and screening for women and children.
He added that other services include birth registration, antenatal and postnatal care, as well as Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS).
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Health Officer, Dr David Audu, described cervical cancer as a deadly disease, noted that 90% of women who die from it are in low- and middle-income countries, emphasising that the HPV vaccine is the only effective preventive measure.
Citing 2020 statistics, Dr Audu said over 600,000 women in Nigeria contracted cervical cancer, with 430,000 fatalities. He stressed that such figures must not be allowed to persist.
Dr Audu reaffirmed UNICEF Bauchi Field Office’s commitment to collaborating with the Bauchi State Government to improve the lives of women and children.
Meanwhile, Dr Yarima Kucici of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Bauchi Office lamented that Nigeria records one maternal death every seven minutes, calling for urgent action to prevent further tragedies.
He clarified that, unlike previous campaigns, this round of MNCHW will exclusively target nine-year-old girls for the HPV vaccine.
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