South Africa’s National Department of Health officially launched yesterday its annual human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign aimed at protecting young girls against cervical cancer — the second most common cancer among South African women, which accounts for more than 5,700 new
cases and over 3,000 deaths each year.
Healthcare officials emphasised that the risk of persistent HPV infections is magnified by the country’s high HIV burden, which weakens immune responses and increases vulnerability to cervical cancer.
The campaign strategy involves healthcare workers visiting schools to administer vaccines, with parental consent required via forms distributed to eligible learners. The Department highlighted that millions of girls in South Africa have previously received the HPV vaccine without significant side effects,
underlining both the safety and importance of widespread uptake in curbing a preventable disease.