The Minister of Health and Social Development, Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, officially integrated the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into Mali’s Expanded Immunization Program.
Launched on Friday, November 1, the vaccination campaign against cervical cancer targets girls aged 10, whether they are in school or not, representing a total of 267,942 young girls for the year 2024.
Each beneficiary will receive a single dose of the vaccine, ensuring effective protection against HPV. To achieve this objective, various strategies will be deployed, including fixed, advanced and mobile campaigns, with particular attention to vulnerable, underserved communities and located in insecure areas.
The operational cost of this campaign is estimated at $780,050, or approximately FCFA 468,030,000. Minister Assa Badiallo Touré expressed her satisfaction with the availability of this vaccine, stressing that cervical cancer remains a major public health problem in Mali.
This cancer is most common among Malian women, with a prevalence of 26.6% and an incidence of 49.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. It is also the leading cause of death among women aged 40 to 50. Every year, the country records more than 2,000 new cases of cervical cancer, leading to around 1,700 deaths. The minister insisted on the effectiveness of vaccination to prevent this devastating disease.
Thierry Vincent, representative of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), recalled that a woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes worldwide. He highlighted GAVI’s commitment in several countries, including Nigeria and Tanzania, which have already launched similar vaccination campaigns. In Mali, 309,000 girls will benefit from this vaccine thanks to support from GAVI.
The United States Ambassador to Mali, Rachna Korhonen, present at the ceremony, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting maternal and child health in Mali.
Minister Assa Badiallo Touré administered the first dose of the vaccine to Hawa Dicko, a 10-year-old girl, marking the official start of the campaign. On this occasion, she also received the keys to a renovated Community Health Center and a vehicle for the National Immunization Center, offered by GAVI. The minister expressed her gratitude to this partner for its constant support and assured that these new resources will be used for the benefit of the Malian population.
MD/ac/APA
