Special Envoy Pushes HPV Vaccine Awareness

The Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children is continuing its push to raise awareness about the importance of the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV vaccine.  The vaccine has been dubbed, a critical tool in protecting Belizean children from preventable diseases, including cervical cancer.  In a press release issued yesterday, the Office emphasized that the HPV vaccine is both safe and effective and plays a major role in safeguarding the health and future of children across the country. The statement noted that early vaccination can help reduce the risk of HPV-related illnesses that have affected many families in Belize.  The release is calling on parents, communities, schools, faith-based organizations, and national leaders to support efforts aimed at improving public health outcomes, particularly for women and girls.  The renewed awareness campaign comes less than a month after Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa spoke with Love News about the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine and the encouraging vaccination statistics being recorded in Belize. 

Dr. Melissa Musa Diaz, Director of Health and Wellness: “Upon the introduction of that vaccine we have never gone to rate higher than 50 or 60%. COVID came, dropped that rate into the 20s. I would like to say that we are very proud to announce that in 2025 of our target population we have 75.9% of girls with that vaccine. This is excellent. It’s one of the highest rates that we have seen in this region as well. Compounded with the fact that we have introduced the HPV swabs, the tests. So the test can be done two ways. You can have an HPV test that’s done by your provider or we now have the test that you do on your own. And we started in 2023 and I recall that we’ve had over 35,000 women already tested for HPV. So we do have the engagement of the public. People are coming in and are asking for these tests. And the importance of HPV is this. Over 90% of cervical cancer is linked to HPV. But it’s important to note that if you have HPV, that does not mean that you will develop cervical cancer. But that’s the importance there because HPV, human papillomavirus, it has no symptoms. So we can be sitting here and have HPV, we don’t know. So, and that’s the importance of screening tests. So we can take the opportunity on initiation of a bird control to do a lot more, to educate, to inform, and for you to be a part of the decision that’s made on your body.”

Dr. Diaz-Musa explained that the vaccine has proven globally to significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases when administered at an early age.  The Office also acknowledged that some individuals and religious organizations have expressed concerns about the vaccine. However, it stressed that protecting children from preventable diseases must remain a national priority.