Maseru ‒ Mampotseng Letuka, a mom of eight from Koali village in Berea district in the north of Lesotho, has spent her life advancing the health of her community. For 16 years, she has followed up on HIV and TB conditions to be clear other folks adhere to their therapy and supported the health needs of the girls and youngsters in her village. For the previous couple of years, she has been an advocate for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects adolescent girls and young girls against the virus that causes most cervical cancers..
“We safe been made responsive to cervical most cancers for quite a while. We knew it’s a unhealthy disease for girls. Fortunately, there hasn’t been any reported case in our village.” says Letuka. “On the other hand, a woman in a end-by village is in the meanwhile present process therapy. She has been the usage of her medication and she or he’s doing neatly.”
Letuka says she has made it her “absolute duty” to sensitize girls between the ages of 9 and 14 about some great advantages of HPV vaccination. She visits households, explaining the dangers of the disease and urging dad and mom to guard their daughters by getting them vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible. Following her persuasion, most dad and mom agreed, and brought their daughters to the village square for vaccination.
Because of collaborative efforts between Lesotho’s Ministry of Health, World Health Group, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, over 139 000 girls in Lesotho between the ages of 9 and 14 safe been vaccinated against HPV since the originate of primarily the most novel campaign in 2022. Cervical most cancers vastly impacts girls in Lesotho, with an estimated 541 girls identified and 362 deaths yearly.
The 93% nationwide protection received all the arrangement thru the last HPV vaccination campaign exceeds the initial 90% purpose and surpasses the 91% completed in a old campaign that turned into interrupted due to the financial constraints. These vaccination efforts are half of a mountainous approach to achieving the targets of WHO’s global approach for the elimination of cervical most cancers by 2030.
As for Letuka, she is “overjoyed” to sign this happening. “I’m so elated to sign the fruits of my labour – getting as many women vaccinated as I’m in a position to. I if truth be told feel so elated and elated seeing so many of them receive the HPV vaccine,” she says.
