A training session on the national vaccination campaign against the ‘Human Papillomavirus (HPV)’ was held yesterday, Friday January 13, in Port-Louis. Some 75 agents from the Ministry of Health and Welfare participated in this working session after having received training in the management of an HPV vaccination campaign. The objective of this campaign is to raise public awareness of the importance of vaccination against the virus.
For the occasion, the Minister of Health, Kailesh Jagutpal, pointed out that the Human Papillomavirus is generally the main cause of cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men. He also spoke of the National Cancer Control Program 2022-2025, a program in which HPV vaccination is part. The minister praised the “very great effectiveness” of the vaccine in reducing the risk of cancers linked to the Human Papillomavirus.
In addition, the National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program which has been launched since 2016, indicates that 88,000 girls in private and public institutions have been vaccinated. Kailesh Jagutpal also pointed out that the ‘nonavalent’ vaccine will soon be available in Mauritius. This vaccine, he said, provides additional protection against (HPV) for boys and girls. As a reminder, this vaccine was exclusively intended for girls aged between 9 and 15 years. But since quite recently, it is also administered to boys of the same age group.
Papilloma Virus: “75 agents have been trained for this vaccination program.”