It was a pleasure to receive Merck Africa’s team in our offices MEDICAID CANCER FOUNDATION – Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu

It was a pleasure to receive Merck
Africa’s team in our offices MEDICAID CANCER FOUNDATION. Leading the team was Zwelethu Bashman whom I have adopted as my son due to his obvious dedication to improving access to medicines in Africa and other LMICs.

We had fruitful discussions on working together to ensure Nigerias adolescent female population receives HPV vaccine being introduced from September 2023- thanks to assistance from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The estimated population of girls aged 10-14yrs in Nigeria is 11.6M. However, we battle with an overwhelming 60% out of school rate.

We must therefore figure out how to capture this vulnerable group alongside efforts to get them into classrooms.

Source: Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu / Linkedin

Her Excellency Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is the First Lady of Kebbi State, a global cancer advocate, a pediatrician, a UICC Board Member, a Founder of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, and the Chairperson of First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), a coalition of the spouses of current and former state governors in Nigeria who are working to address gaps in the cancer continuum of care.