The Minister of Health, Mr. Semano Sekatle says the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) vaccination for girls aged between 9 and 14 years will be launched on April 19, 2022 in the district of Butha-Buthe.

This, he said at the press briefing held in Maseru on Monday.

Mr. Sekatle said that in 2020, an estimated 604,237 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer globally, saying Cervical cancer has killed an estimated 341,843 women 2020.

He further mentioned that in 2020, Lesotho recorded 500 patients suffering from cervical cancer and that 346 were reported dead due to cancer simply because the deceased went for treatment when the disease had widely spread, and nothing could be done to treat it.

The Minister said eligible persons for HPV are girls aged 9-14 years, therefore appealed to Basotho especially parents and teachers to assist the Ministry of Health to ensure that all eligible get vaccinated to combat the spread of cervical cancer.

He stressed that in 2009, the government through the Ministry of Health introduced the HPV vaccination but due to the cost of the vaccine at the time, the ministry stopped the vaccination process, noting that the vaccine cost $11 US dollars a dose which was close to M160.60.

He mentioned that the country has secured 13 000 doses of HPV thus amounting to about M 939,510. 00.

Also speaking, the Director-General of Health Services, Dr Nyane Letsie said it is advisable that the eligible persons should at least wait a period of two weeks after being vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to receive the HPV vaccine.

The HPV vaccination launch aims to protect 9-14-year-old girls against at least HPV types 16 and 18, which cause the greatest risk of cervical cancer.

Meanwhile, the Minister announced that COVID-19 vaccination cards will this week be electronically readable and that all persons vaccinated will get them, saying they can also download their vaccination certificates online.