Rotimi Idris
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Lagos State Government have educated girls with critical information on menstrual hygiene and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine adoption.
This was part of the actionable plans at a sensitisation forum meeting held with the Nigeria Girls Guild in Lagos, to commemorate 2024 Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The event converged adolescent girls from various schools under the auspices of the Girls Guild, which is an association of young female changemakers championing the cause of girl-child health and empowerment in their schools and communities.
Speaking with journalists, the Social and Behaviour Change Specialist at UNICEF, Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, said the programme was designed to leverage the opportunity to drive advocacy and uptake of the HPV vaccine.
She also called for increased demand and peer-to-peer advocacy, especially among girls aged nine and above.
Akinola-Akinwole urged stakeholders from the private sector to religious and community leaders to unite in eliminating period poverty, promoting menstrual dignity and making sanitary products widely available.
Her words, “Menstrual health should be used as an avenue to reach girls and protect their dignity. Every girl should have access to sanitary towels. They should be proud of who they are and celebrate their periods as part of their identity as women.
“We are using this platform to call out older girls as change champions, equipping them with the resources to lead conversations among their peers and create a social movement for a generation free from cervical cancer”.
The Director of Health Education, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Honfor Adesola lauded the initiative, stressing the continued availability of the HPV vaccine at all primary health centres across the state.
Adesola added that the male counterpart are not exempt from carrying the HPV virus and may also be considered for vaccination in the near future.
“When I asked how many girls had taken the vaccine, it was alarming that many hadn’t. We must remind parents that the vaccine is free, safe, and available.
She called for stronger parental involvement and the integration of menstrual hygiene education into school curriculums, religious teachings, and community engagement efforts.
“Even though boys don’t have a cervix, they are often carriers of the virus. Other countries have started vaccinating boys from age nine, and it is a direction Nigeria may consider in the future.”
The students appreciated UNICEF and Lagos State Government for the initiative, while calling for availability of vaccines across the country.
They also advocated for free sanitary pads for girls as a result of the economic realities of the country.
