By Patience Gondo
THE Ministry of Health And Childcare at Beitbridge has announced a week-long human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination outreach programme targeting all Grade 5 girls and 10 year old out of school children, running from October 30 to November 7, 2025.
The exercise forms part of the ministry’s national campaign to protect young girls against cervical cancer through early immunisation.
The HPV vaccine is administered to girls aged between 10 and 14 years as part of Zimbabwe’s routine immunisation schedule.
According to the district schedule, health teams will be deployed across rural and urban areas to ensure all eligible children are reached.
The programme will cover schools, villages and outreach points across Beitbridge District, including both Team 1 and Team 2 operations and additional teams working in urban and satellite areas.
Team 1 will begin the outreach on October 30, covering Novhe, Dendele, Whunga and Madali villages, before proceeding to Bhemula, Chabeda, Govha, Msane and Malusungane villages on October 31.
On November 3, vaccinations will continue in Mpande, Mapili, Towla, and Chionzeni, followed by Fula, Madaulo, Matizwi and Mandate villages on November 4.
On November 5, the team will move to Penemene, Matshiloni, Joko, Mugaladivha, and Jopembe, while Old Nuli, Langeni, Chapfuche, Bubye Swascoe and Lesanthe villages will be covered on November 6.
The outreach will conclude on November 7 with visits to Malala, Mzingwane, and Luhwade villages.
Team 2 will simultaneously cover additional points, beginning with Tshifhise and Longobwe villages on October 30, then Lukange and Chapongwe on October 31. Between November 3 and 4, the team will visit Jopembe, Madzivhe, Mtangamtshena, Jalukange, Limpopo, and Mapani villages. The schedule continues with Ndambe, Toporo, and Malibeng on November 5, followed by Mapai, Chamnanga, Lutumba, and Matakadzambilu on November 6, before concluding with urban private schools on November 7.
Urban and mission schools have also been included in the exercise. These are Beitbridge Mission, Beitbridge Government, and Oakley House under the Family Child Health (FCH) unit, as well as St Joseph Primary, Dulibadzimu, and Welton Primary Schools under the Dulivhadzimu Main team.
The Dulivhadzimu Satellite team will reach Adriel Primary, New Beginnings, and Russel schools, alongside surrounding institutions.
Other outreach points scheduled for October 30 include primary schools at Chikwarakwara, Chituripasi, Malabe, Makombe, Chaswingo, Tshabili, Dite, Dumba, Shabwe, Tongwe, Majini, Chamnangana, Vuturura, Swereki, Masera, Shashe, Nottingham, Makakabule and Mtetengwe.
Health authorities say the campaign is crucial to ensuring that all girls receive the HPV vaccine before they become sexually active, as it provides maximum protection against the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer.
Zimbabwe introduced the HPV vaccine into its routine immunisation programme in 2018, targeting girls aged 10 to 14 years, with the aim of reducing cervical cancer prevalence, which remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in the country.
The HPV vaccination outreach campaign is being conducted with support from UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).