Abuja: Dr. Salma Anas, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, has pledged her support to the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) in its efforts to raise awareness and combat cancer in Nigeria. Anas made the commitment at the 2026 International HPV Awareness Day (IHAD) on Wednesday in Abuja. The event, organised by the IPVS Nigeria Chapter, had the theme, ‘Transdisciplinary Papillomavirus Research in Nigeria: Setting up an Agenda’.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Anas, represented by Dr. Ahmed Baba at the event, expressed that health is now a human development sector and integral to national development. She emphasized the importance of the commemoration, stating, “Health is strategic. It is now a human development sector. So we can’t be talking about health away from national development. And so because of that, the commemoration of this day becomes very important.” Anas also highlighted the global theme, ‘One Less Worry’, underscoring its collaborative approach and stating, “It is everybody’s problem. It is no more about interdisciplinary or myself, it has to be transdisciplinary. And so from the office, we’re supporting this and we’re going to be partners with this.”
Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, President-Elect of the Union for International Cancer Control, also spoke at the event, stressing the public health burden of HPV. She explained that HPV is an infectious disease that can lead to various types of cancers, affecting both male and female individuals, and underscored the importance of vaccination as a preventive measure. “There is a vaccine against this virus, and by using it at the right time, it is possible to prevent the infection from developing further,” she said.
Shinkafi-Bagudu noted that while Nigeria has recently introduced the HPV vaccine to 16 million girls, there is still much work to be done to reach the nation’s population of over 60 million girls. She highlighted the importance of community education and the involvement of religious leaders in working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Addressing challenges beyond funding, she emphasized the need for education and training, noting, “We still have a lot of misinformation, even from health workers.”
She continued to stress the necessity of awareness programs, sensitisation, and capacity building to ensure the message reaches grassroots communities and those skeptical of the vaccine’s effectiveness. Shinkafi-Bagudu pointed to successful cervical cancer elimination in other countries through timely vaccination, asserting that while funding is crucial, awareness is even more critical. “Education is a more critical factor. We need to recognise that, despite putting money into our health system, it remains weak and fragmented because even the people in charge are not adequately trained or do not understand the systems,” she explained.
Reflecting on her experience as First Lady of Kebbi, Shinkafi-Bagudu noted, “Sometimes things as little as a ball can kick off a machine in the lab. That is not about money. It’s just a little ball or a UPS failure that will make the whole machine stop. So we must step up as Nigerians. Funding is being provided, but can we do more? Yes.”