DoH seeks additional budget for HPV vaccine
THE Department of Health (DoH) sought an additional P400 million to expand the coverage of its program to protect girls from cervical cancer.
The department provides free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to girls ages 9 to 14.
In a recent budget hearing, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire appealed for an additional budget to extend HPV vaccination coverage to grade four students in public schools. The agency said its current budget for HPV vaccine covers 15 regions, excluding Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) and Region 4B (Mimaropa — Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblom and Palawan).
«Cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among Filipino women. To address this issue, we have initiated an HPV immunization program for our Grade 4 students, targeting those ages 9 to 14. Currently, this program is being implemented in 15 regions, excluding Region 2 and Region 4B. We are seeking additional funding of over P400 million to extend this initiative nationwide and provide HPV immunization to all grade four students nationwide,» Vergeire said.
The HPV Information Center said the Philippines has a population of 39.6 million women ages 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Almost 8,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and more than 4,000 die of the disease every year.
This year, the DoH procured 1 million HPV vaccine doses, targeting 500,000 girls ages 9 to 14, covering nearly 38 percent of the national school-age population. However, the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocates only 750,000 HPV vaccine doses, falling short of the annual target to vaccinate 1 million Grade 4 students.
Sen. Pilar Juliana «Pia» Cayetano, senior vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, backed the appeal to increase the HPV vaccine budget.
The lawmaker mentioned the success of the HPV vaccine rollout in Taguig and offered suggestions to address vaccine hesitancy.
«Simple information materials will be helpful, particularly to those who require a second dose of vaccine. If you work with the DepEd, they will be the ones to help educate the parents of these students,» Cayetano
