Docs urge govt to take up HPV vaccination programmes to contain cervical cancer cases
Hyderabad: India stands to gain 16 times its investment by introducing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to adolescent girls, despite the initial cost exceeding a billion dollars. This is as per the latest report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on adolescent health intervention strategies.
It must be recalled that while presenting the interim budget earlier this year, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the Centre would promote vaccination for girls aged between nine and 14 years as a preventive measure against cervical cancer. Ironically, there was no mention of this in the full-fledged Union Budget that she presented on Tuesday.
The NFHS-5 data reveals that the percentage of adults screened for major cancers such as cervical, breast and oral cancer remains low. Only 3.3 per cent of women aged between 30 and 49 years underwent cervical cancer screening in Telangana.
"Cervical cancer is a significant health concern in Telangana, representing 8.7 per cent of all cancer cases in the state. It is the second most common cancer among women in the state after breast cancer," said Dr K.V.V.N. Raju, clinical director (oncology) Sindhu Hospitals.
"Causes of cervical cancer include early sexual activity, which correlates with early exposure to HPV. Early marriages often lead to early sexual activity, increasing the risk of exposure to the virus. Similarly, multiple pregnancies are also linked to virus exposure and the subsequent development of cervical cancer," he added.
Dr Raju mentioned that limited access to health services poses difficulties in early screening and identification of cancer. Doctors recommend early vaccination for both girls and boys between the ages of nine and 14 years, ideally before the onset of sexual activity. The HPV vaccine, now available in the market, is relatively expensive and may not be accessible to everyone.
"The HPV vaccine costs somewhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000 and has to be taken in three doses," said Dr Vasundara Cheepurupalli, senior consultant gynaecologist at KIMS, Secunderabad. "The HPV vaccine should be made part of routine vaccination by the government. It is a good augury that with increased awareness, people are themselves demanding for it in the private sector," she added.