NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1 – UAP Old Mutual on Tuesday partnered with Gertrude’s children’s Hospital to vaccinate against Human Pappilloma Virus (HPV) known to cause cervical cancer.
The joint rollout campaign is aimed at increasing the uptake of the HPV vaccine to insured members and is targeting 6000 girls aged 10-14 years under the UAP old Mutual Health cover.
UAP Old Mutual Health Business General Manager Japheth Ogalloh said this will ensure at least 90 percent uptake in line with the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer elimination.
“This cover will be available to all members of this health cover within the scheme that we run for them. They will not be required to pay any amount when they seek for the vaccination services in any of the Gertrude’s Children hospital branches,” said Ogalloh.
Speaking during a ratification ceremony of the partnership, Ogalloh noted the significance of the uptake of the HPV vaccine in drastically reducing the incidences of cervical cancer.
“The HPV vaccine has the potential to reduce the incidence of Cervical Cancer by at least 70 percent. We are happy to be part of the global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.”
In his remarks, Gertrudes Children’s Hospital CEO Richard Nyarango called on every parent to avail their girls of the HPV vaccine to protect them from a number of cancers caused by the virus.
“We collectively must do everything in our power to prevent cancer. The challenge is less lack of information about prevention of HPV infection, but more lack of action based on this information. We at, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, are very excited to work with UAP Old Mutual to improve the uptake of the HPV vaccine,” Nyarango explained.
He further pointed out that the partnership is anchored on the wellness agenda to focus on preventive care as opposed to curative care.
The HPV vaccine which is approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH) shall be offered at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital and its 16 branches.
The HPV vaccine which was rolled out in 2019 by the MoH has seen a low uptake due to claims of potential side effects said to affect the fertility of the girls who receive the vaccine.
Lack of awareness about the HPV vaccine was found to be the main reason for the low uptake.
