09/10/2025
Kwame Asiedu Sarpong writes:
I have been asked privately for my opinion on the rollout of HPV vaccines amongst teenage girls in Ghana. For many, I have engaged inbox but I now feel I should make this a public service post. Please indulge me.
HPV Vaccination Works. It Prevents Cancer.
The strongest real-world studies show that girls vaccinated in early teens cut their future cervical cancer risk dramatically. In Sweden, those vaccinated before age 17 had about an 88% lower risk of invasive cervical cancer. England’s national programme has driven down cancer and severe precancer by more than 80%, with the steepest drop in those offered the vaccine at ages 12–13. Why leave our daughters exposed when a safe, single course can close the door on the virus that causes most cervical cancers?
Safety is not in doubt. Global vaccine-safety reviews by WHO’s expert committee describe HPV vaccines as extremely safe, with serious adverse events rare and carefully monitored worldwide. What protects more: a shot that prevents infection and precancer, or taking a chance on a disease with major surgery, chemo and radiation?
Why vaccinate before s*xual debut? HPV is a common virus that is spread through intimate skin contact. Vaccinating early builds immunity before exposure, which is why protection is highest when given in early adolescence. Waiting until later means gambling with the window of maximum protection.
Ghana’s reality: the disease hits hard and outcomes are poor when care is late. Cervical cancer is among the top cancers in Ghanaian women, with the majority of cases caused by HPV types 16 and 18 that the vaccine targets. Five-year survival in a recent Ghana cohort was about 32%, reflecting late diagnosis and barriers to treatment. Is this the future we accept when prevention is on the table?
Treatment is costly and often catastrophic for families. Even with NHIS listing breast and cervical cancers, gaps and copayments mean women still face heavy out-of-pocket costs for diagnostics, surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and medicines. Studies from Ghana report patients paying thousands of cedis, with affordability of cancer medicines a persistent problem and facilities citing reimbursement shortfalls. Would you rather pay for prevention now or for fragmented, painful treatment later?
Benefit–risk, in plain terms:
- Benefit: 80–90% reductions in cervical cancer for girls vaccinated on time, plus strong herd-protection effects that lower HPV circulation.
- Risk: Very rare serious adverse events, with safety continuously audited by independent global bodies.
On any fair balance, vaccination wins by a wide margin. What other health intervention offers this level of cancer prevention at this level of safety?
Bottom line for parents: If your daughter is not vaccinated, she is at higher risk of persistent HPV infection, precancer and cancer in adulthood. The vaccine is proven, the safety record is strong, and the alternative is a disease that too often arrives late, costs families dearly and leaves survival to chance. Let’s choose prevention while it still makes the biggest difference.
Sources: Kwame Asiedu Sarpong.
