The Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA) held their annual conference at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala, Uganda, 14th – 16th, October (2019) – during the 25th year anniversary of the “University of Makarere”. One of the highlights of the conference was a presentation by Aderonke Akinyelure (a public health practitioner from the University of Ibadan) titled “Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and the Willingness to Uptake HPV Vaccine among Female Artisans in Ibadan North Local Govt. Area of Oyo state, Nigeria”.
The study was a cross-sectional study with 382 participants. An interviewer based questionnaire was used to illicit response from the participants such as demographic characteristics, knowledge, perception and willingness to uptake HPV vaccine. The average age of respondents was 19.8 while most of them were single. Less than 30% of the respondents had sexual experience prior to the survey.
There was low knowledge and poor perception of cervical cancer while more than half were willing to get the HPV vaccine. High cost of vaccine was identified as a barrier to taking-up the vaccine. 70.5% agreed to take the vaccine if it is free. Hence the need to address these challenges through peer education/advocacy and subsidy to reduce or remove cost of vaccine. Doing these will help arrest the spread of HPV in Ibadan city in good time.
Other notable presenters at the Conference were leading African Public Health scholars like Prof. Akika Mohammed and Prof. Fred Binka. The conference ended with a cocktail and cultural presentation by the local dance groups who wowed their audience.
Link To Article: https://youth-journal.org/rising-hpv-in-west-africas-largest-city-research-unravels-
