Zimbabwe Football Tournament Raises Cervical Cancer Awareness. Harare, Zimbabwe — The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-17 girls’ football tournament, held in Zimbabwe last December, served as a unique platform to raise awareness about cervical cancer and promote the HPV vaccine. Some 200 teenage girls from six countries participated in the event, which was part of the Goal Getters campaign, a joint initiative between the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), CAF, and UEFA.
According to local reports, the HPV vaccine can prevent up to 90% of cervical cancer cases, a significant health concern for women globally, with Africa accounting for nearly a quarter of global deaths due to the disease.
The tournament aimed to leverage the passion for sports among young girls to engage them in discussions about health, specifically the importance of the HPV vaccine. During the tournament, girls aged between 9 and 14 years were offered free doses of the HPV vaccine.
This initiative aimed to save families from potentially thousands of dollars in treatment costs later in life.
Gavi spokesperson, Olly Cann, emphasized the importance of the campaign, stating, “One of the great aspects of the campaign is it enables us to blend two things that young ladies, teenage girls, are really passionate about. One is sport, and the other is health.”.
Despite the tournament being a football competition, the primary focus was on education and vaccination.
Nteboheleng Sooane, a participant, expressed her view, “Cancer is a big disease. So every child should get the vaccine so that they can be protected.
So all of us must.
We came here to learn about it and also about soccer, so it improves our intelligence.”
The tournament was also an opportunity to address the challenges of HPV vaccination in Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that coverage for at least one dose of the HPV vaccine rose to 40% in 2023 from 28% the previous year.
However, misinformation and stigma surrounding reproductive health remain significant obstacles.
In Harare, for instance, only two 10-year-old girls showed up for vaccination during a recent weekend.
Barbra Mashonga, a community nurse, highlighted the misconceptions that exist, “Some parents keep their children away from school on the day we visit because they think the injections are a secret family planning method that will prevent their children from having babies.”Zimbabwe recently introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine in an effort to boost vaccination rates following the two-dose regime introduced in 2018.
Further details about the long — term impact of the tournament on cervical cancer awareness and vaccination rates are expected in the coming weeks.
Source: Africanews.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
