From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has launched the Girl Effect Oya Campaign, a community-wide call to action to protect girls from cervical cancer and malnutrition.
The campaign, which was launched at the Gusau Institute in Kaduna, is a collaboration between the state government and the UK-based Girl Effect.
According to the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, the campaign is designed to empower girls and protect them from diseases that can be prevented.
She stated that the Kaduna HPV immunization programme, launched in 2024, has reached 754,304 girls aged 9 to 14, protecting them from the virus that causes cervical cancer.
The Deputy Governor reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to scaling up access to vaccines, strengthening nutrition, and ensuring a safe future for every girl. She praised the role of frontline health workers and noted that Kaduna has become a model in northern Nigeria for integrating adolescent health into routine immunization and social development strategies.
The Girl Effect Oya Campaign targets parents, teachers, religious and traditional leaders to help dispel harmful myths and support early prevention efforts. The campaign aims to build a culture of early prevention and collective responsibility for girls’ health.
The Deputy Governor urged stakeholders to use the campaign to “ignite conversations in homes, classrooms, markets, and mosques,” and to work together to protect the health and well-being of girls in Kaduna State. “No child should be lost to a disease we can prevent,” she said. “Every girl in Kaduna deserves to grow up healthy, strong, and free from diseases we know how to stop.”
The launch of the Girl Effect Oya Campaign marks a significant step towards protecting the health and well-being of girls in Kaduna State and serves as a model for other states in Nigeria.
