prijava
SARAJEVO, January 20 (FENA) - The Institute for Women's and Maternal Health, the Institute for Public Health of the Sarajevo Canton, SC Ministry of Health, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), presented a proposal for HPV vaccination program in the Sarajevo Canton.
Director of the Public Health Institute of SC, Aida Pilav, explained at the press conference that this is a vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. In European countries, this vaccine has been introduced in regular vaccination programs. Both boys and girls of primary school age are vaccinated and it gives good results.
According to her, two vaccines have been registered in BiH, but they are not mandatory. Therefore, as she said, they are proposing to be introduced in the program of additional immunization in the Sarajevo Canton.
“That means it will not be mandatory, but it will be available. That is our proposal and we will work on it,” she emphasized.
As it was said, according to the frequency of cervical cancer, Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the European level. However, even one case is too much if it is known that it is cancer that can be prevented. Regular checkups and screening for cervical cancer can detect it at an early stage when it can be cured.
The representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) John Kennedy Mosoti believes that it is important that the Sarajevo Canton wants to introduce an HPV vaccination program, but also that efforts should be made to ensure that the rest of the country has a clear cervical cancer prevention program.
Statistics show that the use of HPV vaccines has been approved in more than 160 countries and introduced into national immunization programs in at least 40 countries. Among the goals of the World Health Organization are that 90 percent of girls under the age of 15 will be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 2030.
The presentation of the Proposal of the HPV vaccination program in the Sarajevo Canton was organized during the European Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, which is marked from January 18 to 24 this year.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer for women in the world and is a significant public health problem. It is almost completely preventable. Therefore, public awareness of prevention is very important.
(FENA) A. B.
