An advocacy working group, Family Health Initiative Ogun ( FAHIO ) has sought the support of  Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, toward  capturing adolescent girls of ages 9-12 years in schools across state for Human Papillon Virus ( HPV) vaccination, as  preventive measure  against cervical cancer.

      Chairperson of the group, Mrs. Oluwakemi Balogun, while speaking during an advocacy visit  to the Commissioner in the Ministry, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu and other management staff, said the  intervention  of the ministry would enable the state meet its target coverage for the vaccination.

     She said, " Ogun State is always in the fore front to effectively  implement health intervention programmes at ensuring that target coverage  is achieved for improved  health indices of the state''.

      Also speaking,  FAHIO Secretary, Revd . Olajide Odugbemi stated that the HPV vaccination is a global strategy to eliminate  cervical cancer in women, noting uptake of the vaccine by the age group would protect them in their lifetime against contracting the virus .

     He pointed out that the vaccination had been included in the immunization schedule, calling on the ministry to make immunization card a prerequisite for enrolment of students into primary and secondary schools, in order  to ascertain learners'  health status.  

 Responding, Prof. Arigbabu commended the efforts of the group in the state, particularly in ensuring learners' well-being and wellness, assuring that the ministry would link up with his counterpart in health for achieving the purpose of the visit.

       '' Our own is to grant you access to our school but we want to be sure that whatever we do , we get the  endorsement and confidence of the Ministry of Health", he noted.