The Chairman of the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Funke Ogunbunmi, has called for sustained advocacy and stronger community engagement to ensure wider acceptance of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine across the state.
Ogunbunmi made the call on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti during a State Learning and Sustainability Meeting on the HPV Vaccination Programme organised by Girl Effect in collaboration with the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
She commended stakeholders and development partners for their commitment to protecting the health and future of adolescent girls in the state, stressing that continuous sensitisation and grassroots mobilisation remained critical to sustaining the gains already recorded.
According to her, increased community participation and consistent public enlightenment will help address misconceptions about the vaccine and improve uptake among eligible girls.
The meeting brought together stakeholders in the health sector, development partners, community leaders, education authorities and religious groups to review progress made so far, share key lessons and strengthen long-term strategies for the programme.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency , Dr Aliu Ogunsakin, described the programme as a critical intervention in the prevention of cervical cancer among young girls.
Ogunsakin said the sustainability meeting was organised to validate the project’s sustainability plan, address existing barriers, build awareness and acceptance of the vaccine, and further strengthen collaboration among stakeholders.
Representatives of key development partners, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, delivered goodwill messages and commended Ekiti for its impressive performance in the HPV vaccination campaign.
The Girl Effect delegation at the event was led by Kosi Izundu, alongside Idris Suleiman and Ezekiel Resedenz.
Stakeholders at the meeting included representatives of health partners, ministries, departments and agencies, community leaders, the Iyaloja and Iyalaje of Ekiti State, officials of the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board, religious leaders, health workers and the National Orientation Agency.
With the campaign slogan, “Oya, Protect Her Future,” participants discussed strategies to deepen awareness and sustain the successes already recorded under the programme.
As part of efforts to strengthen advocacy and communication, Girl Effect handed over Social and Behaviour Change Communication tools to the state, including the Oya Radio Drama, HPV information materials, social media assets, and brochures for parents and girls.
Presentations at the meeting showed that 89 per cent of residents were aware of the HPV vaccine, while uptake stood at 87 per cent.
The data also revealed that uptake was significantly higher among girls whose parents were knowledgeable about the Oya HPV campaign.
It added that the programme is currently being implemented in five states — Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Kaduna and Delta — with Ekiti emerging as one of the highest-performing states.
The "Oya campaign for the Girl Effect HPV programme " was launched in Ekiti in May 2025.
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