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Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe Football Club lost to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns by four goals at half-time in the final of a regional under-17 women’s tournament held in Zimbabwe to promote cervical cancer vaccination. By the end of the game, the gap had widened to 5-0.
However, for Lishushu winger Ntebo Helen Leticia Souan, the result seemed inconsequential.
For the 16-year-old, the most important result of the World Cup has nothing to do with goal battles or disappointment at the final whistle. Rather, it is about building confidence in girls and making them believe HPV virus The Vaccine Alliance, one of the World Cup organizers, said the vaccine would not prevent a disease that kills a woman every two minutes globally, with the burden highest in Africa.
“It’s good to compete because even if we don’t win the final, we have to learn and spread (the message). So it’s a good experience,” Soon said as he waited to collect his finalists’ medals at a rain-soaked stadium in Norton, a suburb of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.
Sooane was among about 200 girls from six countries taking part in the CAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in December, organized by African football’s governing body CAF in partnership with European football bodies, GAVI and the ministries of health of several African countries.
The campaign, known as the Goal Getters campaign, was first showcased in Tanzania and Swaziland earlier last year before moving to Zimbabwe in December, using football to raise awareness and trust in the HPV vaccine.
GAVI says that free HPV vaccination for girls aged 9 to 14 can prevent up to 90% of cervical cancer cases, saving families thousands of dollars in later treatment costs if girls don’t get vaccinated.
Activities combine sports and health
Africa has ramped up HPV vaccination campaigns in recent years after experiencing setbacks caused by COVID-19 lockdowns and uneven national immunization programs. According to the World Health Organization, coverage of at least one dose of the HPV vaccine rose to 40% in 2023 from 28% the previous year, behind only North, Central and South America, driven by an expanded information campaign supported by governments and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Gavi spokesperson Olly Cann said the women’s football tournament was a key part of that effort.
“one “The great thing about the Goal Getters campaign is that it allows us to bring together two things that teenage girls are passionate about, sports and health,” Cann said. “It creates a really safe space where girls feel trusted, they feel safe, they feel empowered.”
The event kicked off with a mix of dance and song before the eight-team tournament began. Off the field, mothers flocked to a nearby clinic, some for the chance to meet famous women’s football players, while also getting their children vaccinated against HPV.
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common sexually transmitted virus and the leading cause of cervical cancer. While most infections go away naturally, some persist and can lead to cancer years later.
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, killing approximately 350,000 women each year. Africa accounts for nearly a quarter of global deaths, with 19 of the 20 most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Cann said.
Zimbabwe is one of the five most burdened countries on the continent. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in the country of 15 million, killing about 2,000 women each year, according to the National Cancer Registry.
Ahead of the women’s tournament, Zimbabwe has rolled out a single-dose HPV vaccine, a shift that authorities hope will boost uptake after the two-dose vaccine was rolled out across the country in 2018.
‘There are a lot of misunderstandings’
Misinformation and stigma about reproductive health remain major barriers. On a recent weekend in January, just two 10-year-old girls came to get vaccinated at the Budiriro Polyclinic in a densely populated township in Harare — a situation health officials say is common, forcing most HPV vaccines to be offered only through schools.
“Many families will not bring their children to the clinic to be vaccinated,” said Barbara Mashonga, a nurse in charge of community mobilization at the clinic. “Even when we follow up in schools, some refuse. The biggest challenge is religious beliefs.”
“Some parents believe the injections are a secret family planning method that will prevent their children from having children,” she said. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there, which is why health education is such a big part of this movement.”
Officials say football-based initiatives could help close that gap.
“We are seizing these opportunities so that our communities can be better because of football,” Zimbabwe Football Association president Nqobile Magwizi said during the celebrations for championship winners Mamelodi Sundowns.
For Sooner, the message went beyond the final score.
“Cancer is a big disease, so every child should be vaccinated so they are protected,” she said. “So we’re all here to understand that so we can stay healthy.”
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