GHS to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 against HPV in schools nationwide

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) will undertake two rounds of a nationwide school-based vaccination campaign against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in October and November/December 2026 to protect eligible girls against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.

The exercise, organised in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) through the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) and its partners, will be conducted under the Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunisation (PIRI).

According to a statement signed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the first round is scheduled for Monday, October 19, to Friday, October 23, 2026.

The second round will take place from Monday, November 30, to Friday, December 4, 2026.

During the exercise, health workers will visit schools across the country to administer the HPV vaccine to eligible girls aged 9 to 14 who have not yet received it.

The campaign is intended to raise awareness of the routine HPV vaccine, improve vaccination uptake and strengthen efforts to protect girls against diseases associated with HPV infection.

The GHS has called on school authorities, parents, guardians, teachers and community leaders to cooperate with health teams to ensure the successful implementation of the exercise.

The Service said the collaboration of stakeholders would help safeguard the health and well-being of children across the country.