The Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-11) is urging more parents of nine to 14-year-old girls to avail of the free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for their daughters’ protection from cervical cancer.

On Thursday, Dr. Annabelle Yumang, DOH-11 director, invited the parents of the school-age group with daughters in tow to avail of the free screening and vaccine in line with the celebration of Cervical Cancer Consciousness Month.

“The HPV vaccine is given to the school-age group. We urged the parents to have their girls get the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer,” she said in an interview.

Yumang mentioned that similar activities are being initiated across the country this month.

“We started now in Davao City, and the other provinces in Region 11 will also conduct activities this month. We conducted health promotion and lectures and administered vaccines,” she said.

Apart from cervical cancer screening, the event also conducted free human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. The DOH noted that HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are some of the leading causes of cervical cancer.

Meanwhile, the City Health Office is also urging women aged 30 to 65 to undergo visual inspection using acetic acid (VIA) since it is free of charge and relatively painless.

Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women in the Philippines.

In 2023, a total of 88 women died due to cervical cancer in this city. For the first quarter of this year alone, a total of 13 women in the city have succumbed to the disease, Acosta said. (PNA)