The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) has launched an HPV Vaccination drive across India to vaccinate girls and women against cervical cancer.
Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Tuesday, FPAI national president Ratnamala Desai said that after breast cancer, cervical cancer accounts for the second largest number of cases among women aged between 15 and 44. And, over 12 lakh women in India suffer from cervical cancer, while 77,000 women die of the disease every year.
Dr. Desai said that although it is a preventable disease, awareness about it has been alarmingly low in the country, despite high percentage of the affected.
“Over 95% of cervical cancer cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) which can be prevented by a safe and effective vaccine. And, giving HPV vaccine for adolescents and screening women for cervical cancer are the clear strategy for prevention according to World Health Organisation,” she said.
The cost of the HPV vaccine developed in 2009 is high, but now with Serum Institute of India, Pune, making donations under its CSR initiative, the cost of the vaccine has reduced. Now, the FPAI is focusing on prevention strategies and promotion of HPV vaccination among girls and screening of women for cervical cancer along with treatment for precancerous lesions, she said.
Dr. Desai said that in association with Tata Mumbai Marathon-2024, the FPAI planned to raise ₹1 crore for the campaign, Race to erase cervical cancer.
Through the campaign, the FPAI will administer HPV vaccination to over 20,000 women and girls through its 40 branches across the country, she said.
Manager of FPAI Dharwad branch Sujata Anishettar said that the Dharwad branch has already administered vaccination to over 600 girls in the district and it will hold awareness programmes in schools targeting girls.
She said that as some individual donors and organisations such as the Rotary Club of Seven Hills have extended donations to the tune of ₹3 lakhs, the price of the vaccine has been now reduced to ₹1,350 for one dose.
To a query, she said that the Sikkim government has declared it a government programme to cover the target group and FPAI wanted more State governments to take similar steps. Anyone willing to donate for HPV vaccination can approach the FPAI Dharwad chapter, she added.
