SCHOOL HPV VACCINE FUN FAIR
Held on Friday 24 May 2024
at Omuo Comorehsneive High School, Omuo Ekiti
The programme commenced at 1:00 pm
Facilitated by ADEWUMI IDOWU PETER (Master Training/Youth-Representative for HPVV Phase II Introduction, Ekiti State) and the Nine (9) Vaccine Champions in Ekiti East LGA
Sponsored by John Hopkin’s International vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) and Direct Consulting and Logistics (DCL) in conjunction with the Women Access Vaccine Access (WAVA) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
In attendance:
Students from selected schools across Ekiti East LGA and their teachers;
The Area Education Officer, Ekiti East;
The Vice Principal of Omuo Comprehensive High School and Teachers;
Health Educator of Ekiti East LGA and other healthcare team in the LGA;
Community and religious leaders;
Security personnel and the Press.

The “School HPV Vaccine Fun Fair” aimed to increase awareness and promote the uptake of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine among girls aged 9-14, sensitise their parents, and teachers and community leaders. The event featured interactive educational health workshop on Cervical Cancer and HPV, and entertainment including local music presentation and drama performance by the students. The programme emphasised the importance of HPV vaccination in preventing cervical cancer, fostering a fun and engaging atmosphere to encourage participation and uptake of the vaccine roll-out holding from Monday 27 to Friday 31 May 2024.
The programme commenced with an introductory speech by Adewumi Idowu Peter who appreciated the programme sponsors for empowering him and the Vaccine Champions to participate in the sensitisation, advocacy and mobilisation for the vaccine uptake, allowing them to contribute to a secured future of young girls and by extension, the entire Ekiti State.
The Area Education Officer (AEO), who officially declared the programme opened, commended the federal government, through her agency (NPHCDA) for exhibiting readiness towards a well grounded publicity for the HPV vaccine upake, thereby ensuring a healthy nation. She encouraged participants at the event to take the message to their schools and communities, noting that the intervention is for their and the entire community good.
Also, the school’s principal who’s the host of the programme commended the Vaccine Champions for taking the HPV Vaccine campaign to the grassroots as they have visited the schools before for the same purpose. He noted that neither the federal or state government have ulterior motive against their life and well-being, thereby encouraging the students from his school and other schools in the LGA to turn up and take the vaccine when it is out between 27 and 31 May 2024.
The Health Educator in Ekiti East LGA, who delivered a lecture on “Understanding Cervical Cancer Prevention: Highlighting Benefits and Addressing Myths of HPV Vaccination” unravelled some misinformation, rumors and misconception about vaccine generally, did justice to the topic and provided answers to all questions posed by the students along side the master trainer (Idowu Adewumi).
The student, after discussing facts about Cervical Cancer and HPV Vaccine with the Vaccine Champions and got clarifcations about the disease and intervention (Vaccine), also presented both drama and music exhibition on HPV Vaccine, using local languages which were based on the why girls of 9-14 years should take the vaccine.
Other dignitaries supported the previous talks and encouraged the entire community to mobilise immensely towards a wider coverage of the vaccine.