Story by Providence Maraneli
RURAL communities have welcomed the rollout of Zimbabwe’s new single-dose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, describing it as a significant step towards preventing cervical cancer, particularly among adolescent girls in remote areas.
The vaccination programme was launched on Monday in Umzingwane, Matabeleland South Province, marking what health authorities say is a turning point in the country’s cervical cancer response strategy. The shift from a two-dose schedule to a single shot is intended to improve access and reduce the number of girls who previously failed to return for follow-up doses.
Villagers in Sengezane said the new approach would remove barriers that previously disrupted girls’ protection against the virus.
“We used to have a scenario where girls would miss their second dose and everything falls away, so I think the single dose will make it easier for us.
“Sometimes our children would have transport challenges to go for the second dose, so this is a welcome development. We are impressed by government’s commitment to fight cancer.”
The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the scheduled two-dose vaccine led to incomplete persistent protection, with most adolescent girls missing the second dose.
“This is a major breakthrough. We used to administer one dose and coming back for the second dose was a challenge, so they would be lost before completing the schedule. This is a very big advantage. Anyone who receives that one dose is now protected and you no longer have to worry about whether they will come back or not,” he said.
With Zimbabwe’s strides in the health sector being attributed to resilience of its people, support from government and development partners, the single dose presents a chance for the country to nip cervical cancer in the bud.
“It is a big breakthrough that the HPV vaccine has been introduced as part of the package of vaccines given to children. It is a very happy day for us. We will support the cause and the funding we have will go a long way in the fight,” UNICEF Country Representative, Ms Etona Ekole said.
Cervical cancer remains a major challenge in the country, especially for women in rural communities and the introduction of single dose signals government’s commitment to fighting the scourge.
