Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran said more resources will be allocated in the 2012 budget for reproductive and vaccination programmes. He was speaking at a luncheon hosted at Herdmanston Lodge for a group of Grade Six girls to show appreciation for their bravery in being the first recipients of the Gardasil vaccination exercise to inoculate them against cervical cancer.
Girls from the East La Penitence Primary School were the first to benefit from the programme as it was first administered in Georgetown at the East La Penitence Health Centre. Girls ages 11 to 13 in regions three, four, five and six were given the vaccine earlier this year as it works best when given to girls before they become sexually active to prevent infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer. To date 578 girls have been vaccinated, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
The East La Penitence Health Centre is the newest one built in the city to serve the growing community. Dr Ramsaran said students from the school can access dental care at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School which has a dental unit that is open to the public. They can also make use of the services that will be offered through the ministry’s school health unit when it opens its health club. The ministry also plans to host a health fair at the school to promote health training programmes and other pertinent issues.
In her address, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster said there is need for more inter-sectoral/agency collaboration in order to improve the well-being of women and children. She also said it is vital for young girls to be immunised with the HPV vaccine and for them to be made aware that making and maintaining healthy lifestyle choices will ensure them the best future. “This is one of the areas of primary focus for government in the social services that we provide,” Webster said.
Webster also referred to this year’s theme for International Women’s Day – ‘Connecting our girls: inspiring their futures’ as integral to the ministry’s objectives regarding women and girls. She noted that while it is important for girls to succeed academically they should also be taught to pay attention to their health from an early age. In this regard, she suggested to the minister that this aspect can be advocated in the schools to sensitise parents about the need for their children to access medical care (annual check-ups) and counselling.
Cervical cancer is preventable
Meanwhile, PAHO/WHO Country Representative Dr Beverley Barnett noted that it is important to know that cervical cancer is preventable, as there are not many cancers that are in that category. She explained that before the discovery of the very close links between cervical cancer and the persistent infection of certain types of HPV, efforts at preventing this particular type of cancer involved screening to note the changes in the cervix, diagnosing those which are precancerous and then treating them. The Pap smear and the VIA screening methods are used to screen women who are sexually active.
Dr Barnett said that due to the number of HPV infections, studies were conducted to address the preventive aspect of the illness that includes abstinence, safer sex using barrier methods (condoms) and having a long-term mutually monogamous and uninfected partner. “Since the discovery of the vaccine that can prevent infection with some of the specific types of HPV that cause cervical cancer the administration of the HPV vaccine has been added to the methods of preventing HPV infection and reducing the chances of getting cervical cancer,” she said.
Head Teacher at East La Penitence Primary, Nicola Agard said she was pleased that the ministry, particularly the nurses, engaged the students, their parents and teachers in discussions before the vaccine was administered. She also thanked them for their frequent checks on the girls.
