In commemoration of International Women’s Day, Girl Effect, in collaboration with Kids & Teens Resource Centre, flagged off the Champion App session to educate parents and vaccinate eligible girls in Akure South and Odigbo Local Government Areas. The initiative aims to educate parents about HPV vaccination using community health workers and teachers as champions of the initiative.
The flag-off session trained 40 selected women from communities in Akure South and Odigbo LGAs, marking the first of four sessions planned per cohort of 20 women per month. The Champions’ App, which the champions were trained to use, was instrumental in delivering accurate and consistent information on the HPV vaccination to the communities.
Obaromi Hellen Olubumi, who is one of the 60 champions (40 community based health workers and 20 school counselors) trained for this initiative, led the first session with parents in Isolo Community, Akure leading to the vaccination of all eligible girls in the communities where the flag-off was done.
Dr. Adefesoye Victor, the Director of Disease Control and Immunization at OSPHCDA, delivered the opening address, welcoming the parents and expressing gratitude for their participation. He emphasized the importance of HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14 years to prevent cervical cancer, describing it as a rare opportunity for the communities.
Dr. Adefesoye highlighted the significance of supporting female health, stating, “what we give, our environment returns to us.”
Bamigboye Folashade, Executive Director, Kids & Teens Resource Centre addressed the champions, saying “when we save a girl child, we are saving a generation, hence we use the opportunity of this IWD to urge all women to ensure the future of their daughters are secured by giving them the protection from cervical cancer”
She also announced the fact that branded bags, vest, cap and other work tools have been provided by Girl Effect to support the campaign and the Champions’ effort in creating awareness in their communities.
Dr. Mrs. Ogunmakinwa Florence, State Community-Based Health Worker Coordinator, and Fadiji Florence, the State Immunization Officer, were also present to charge the Community-Based Health Workers to work passionately to educate Parents on the importance of the vaccine thereby increasing the vaccine uptake in their communities.
Mrs. Afolabi Titilayo, Deputy Director of Health Education, efficiently coordinated a market sensitization in Isolo Community to create awareness while Mrs. Saka Olubunmi, the Isolo Ward Focal Person, managed the immunization session as parents and girls came out to participate in the flag-off event.
Addressing community misconceptions, K&TRC Program Officer, Mercy Roland Bamigboye clarified that the current HPV vaccine dose is a one-time provision, with the possibility of a booster dose in the future. She encouraged parents to consistently present their children for vaccinations when available.
In response to a question about vaccine eligibility, Mrs. Fadiji Florence confirmed that the free HPV vaccine, introduced on January 1, 2025, is targeted at girls aged 9-14 years in recognition of International Women’s Day. Mrs Fadiji urged women to undergo regular screenings for cervical cancer rather than waiting for symptoms to manifest.
The event featured cultural performances by the vaccinated girls, who also displayed their vaccination cards. Representatives from Girl Effect, Mr. Idris Suleiman also addressed the community members and champions to seize the opportunity to educate their community members to vaccinate all eligible girls in their communities.
Community and School engagement is set to commence on Monday, where each champion will conduct four sessions with Parents and Girls in communities with low vaccine uptake over the next couple course of months.
