The legal framework
Ghana has worked to introduce HPV vaccination into its routine immunisation schedule after earlier demonstration projects, and cervical screening is available at public facilities, mainly through visual inspection with acetic acid. Cervical cancer remains among the most common cancers in women, largely because screening coverage has been low.
Ghana has not yet introduced HPV vaccination into its routine national programme, despite cervical cancer being a leading cause of cancer death among Ghanaian women; the vaccine is available privately and through pilot and donor-supported projects. Screening is opportunistic rather than organised, offered at some facilities and through periodic campaigns.
Key points
| Vaccination | Introduction into routine immunisation for girls aged 9 to 14 |
|---|---|
| Screening | Visual inspection with acetic acid at public facilities |
| HPV testing | Available in larger centres and some programmes |
| Age group | Women aged 25 to 49 prioritised |
| Treatment | Thermal ablation or cryotherapy for detected lesions |
| Burden | Among the most common cancers in women |
| Cost | Free or low cost at public facilities |
In practice
- Ask at a health centre or CHPS compound about screening: it is free or low cost.
- Have daughters aged 9 to 14 vaccinated when the programme is offered.
- A lesion found on visual inspection can often be treated during the same visit.
- Screening remains necessary after vaccination.
Cost and coverage
Screening is free or low cost at public facilities; the vaccine is free through the national programme.
Where to go
- Health centres and CHPS compounds.
- Ghana Health Service cancer control programme.
- Teaching hospitals for colposcopy and treatment.
Worth knowing
Screening coverage, not availability, is the problem. Visual inspection is quick, free and gives an immediate answer — but almost nobody is invited, so it has to be requested.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get the HPV vaccine in Ghana?
Privately at hospitals and clinics, at a cost, and through donor-supported or pilot projects in some districts. It is not yet part of the routine national immunisation schedule, though introduction has been planned and advocated for several years.
Why vaccinate boys as well as girls?
Because HPV causes cancers of the penis, anus and throat as well as the cervix, and genital warts in both sexes — and because high coverage in both sexes cuts transmission for everyone far faster than vaccinating girls alone. Programmes that include boys reach population-level protection years earlier, which is why almost every country that started with girls has since extended it.
Official sources and links
- Ghana.gov — official government portal