Matshidiso relieved that her daughter will get HPV vaccine to protect her against cervical cancer

A mother of an eligible girl child aged 9, Matshidiso Luta (39) from Vereeniging, who is also a cervical cancer survivor said that she was
pleased that she received the consent form and gave permission for the school health team to administer the HPV vaccine on her daughter.
The Gauteng Department of Health is
currently running the HPV vaccination first round campaign in all public primary and special schools in Gauteng which commenced on 05
February and will end on 20 March 2024.
The campaign is mainly targeted at Grade 5 girls aged from 9 years and above, and are vaccinated with a single dose of the Cervarix HPV Vaccine which is very safe and effective in preventing the HPV infection caused by type 16 and 18 HPV strains.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), after breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common and leading cause of
cancer deaths among women in South Africa, particularly among adolescents and women aged 15 to 44.
Over 70% of cervical cancer cases are caused by the infection to the cervix (mouth of the womb) by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is
sexually transmitted. In the country, more than 5 000 new cases are reported every year and most are fatal.