UAP Old Mutual, Gertrude’s Hospital Partner to Enhance HPV Vaccination in Children

UAP Old Mutual Old Group has partnered with Gertrude’s Children Hospital to roll out a joint campaign aimed at increasing the uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to insured members.

The initiative is targeted at reaching over 6000 girls under the UAP Old Mutual Health cover. This will ensure at least 90 percent uptake in line with the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer elimination. The HPV vaccine which is approved by the Ministry of Health shall be offered at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital and its 16 branches.

Speaking during a ratification ceremony of the partnership, UAP Old Mutual Health Business General Manager Japheth Ogalloh said that the HPV vaccine has the potential to reduce the incidence of Cervical Cancer by at least 70 percent.

“Currently, at least 9 women die every day from Cervical Cancer in Kenya. We are happy to be part of the global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. We are also pleased to partner with Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, a leading children’s hospital in the region, on this noble initiative. If we achieve significant uptake of the vaccine, we can drastically reduce the incidence of Cervical Cancer,” he added.

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Cervical Cancer is the second leading cause of new cancer cases and deaths among women in Kenya. It is also one of the preventable and treatable types of cancer. Screening and testing are crucial in preventing cancer.

In 2019, the Ministry of Health introduced the HPV vaccine and has since run campaigns to encourage its uptake in girls aged 10 and 14 years.

In his remarks, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robert Nyarango stated that they collectively must do everything in their power to prevent cancer.

According to Dr. Nyarango, the challenge in addressing this is the lack of information about the prevention of HPV infection. He added that a more dangerous challenge is the lack of action based on this information.

“We at, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, are very excited to work with UAP Old Mutual to improve the uptake of the HPV vaccine. We call upon every parent with a preteen child to partner with us to protect our children against HPV infection and in so doing protect them from several cancers caused by HPV” said Nyarango.

The two organizations further committed to continue listening to customer feedback as part of their effort to provide solutions that enable them to reach their health goals.