The vaccine will be part of the National Immunisation Programme under the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap).

Cervical cancer vaccination will be free and compulsory for all school girls in Dubai and the Northern Emirates starting this academic year, a senior health official has said.

The vaccine will be part of the National Immunisation Programme under the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap). "The vaccine is not available right now but we will have it soon," Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant undersecretary of Health Centres and Clinics at the ministry, told Khaleej Times.

"In October, we will have a big campaign to raise awareness and launch the initiative," he added.

The decision is part of a ministerial decree recently signed by the Minister of Health. The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine is already compulsory for school girls in Abu Dhabi under the emirate's vaccination programme.

In 2013, Abu Dhabi extended the free immunisation scheme to include more Emirati women between the ages of 18 and 26. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Abu Dhabi women, even though it is preventable.

"The UAE is among the few countries to have low cervical cancer," said Dr Al Rand.

According to the HPV Information Centre of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2017 estimates indicated that every year, 93 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 28 die from the disease in the UAE.

Cervical cancer ranks as the third most frequent cancer among women in the UAE and the third most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

Dr Al Rand said that the girls will receive the first dose of vaccination during the second semester, and the second dose later.

He also said that the ministry's 'Cancer Detection' programme has raised awareness of the importance of early examination, and inclusion of the vaccine will also ensure prevention of the disease to a large extent.

It is recommended that females aged 25 to 65 years undergo papillomavirus screening every three to five years, while females between the ages of 13 and 26 years get vaccinated against HPV.

Dr Mohanad Diab, consultant and HOD medical oncology, NMC Speciality Hospital, Abu Dhabi, said that cervical cancer is caused in 92 per cent of cases by the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract.



"The decision by the ministry unveiling the programme to include cervical cancer vaccination in schools is surely a landmark one which shall serve the tenets of the government."



Dr Ghassan Lotfi, consultant in obstetrics & gynecology, head of department, Al Zahra Hospital said, "Cervical cancer is one of the deadliest cancer forms affecting women worldwide, with almost half a million new cases annually."



"The mandatory vaccination programme for school girls has been approved by HAAD in Abu Dhabi more than a decade ago and has been effectively implemented in practice, showing significant reduction in cases of cervical cancer in the Emirate. The DHA has a similar plan that would help in early prevention of this deadly disease in the UAE," he added.

Explaining the disease

Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix and is a slow-growing cancer with symptoms that appear later.

Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse. Most women diagnosed with precancerous changes in the cervix are in their 20s and 30s, but the average age of women when they are diagnosed with cervical cancer is the mid 50s.

It isn't clear what causes cervical cancer, but it's certain that HPV plays a role. HPV is very common, and most women with the virus never develop cervical cancer. This means other factors - such as your environment or your lifestyle choices - also determine whether you'll develop cervical cancer.

Childhood vaccination

The National Immunisation Programme includes vaccinations for:

-BCG

-Hepatitis B

-Hexavalent vaccine (polio, diptheria, tetanus etc)

-MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)

-Varicella (Chickenpox)

-HPV (Abu Dhabi girls only)

-Rubella (girls only)

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com