Expressing serious concern over the large number of deaths due to cervical cancer in the country Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said that ‘AV Magni-Visualiser’, the screening device for cervical cancer, would soon be made available in all district and sub-district hospitals so that cancer is detected at an early stage.
Azad was speaking after launching the screening device for cervical cancer called ‘AV Magni-Visualiser’, designed and developed at the Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), one of the premier institutes of ICMR.
Azad said that with this device it will be easy to screen and detect cervical cancer at an early stage so as to make the treatment more effective. Maintaining that cervical cancer is still the number one killer cancer in several parts of rural and semi-urban India, Azad said that it has been estimated that about 1.32 lakh cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed every year and 74, 000 deaths occur because of it every year.
Though the cancer institutes maintain registry of cervical cancer cases, Health Minister said that many of the cases may still be going unreported in rural areas taking the number even higher.
Currently screening facilities for cervical cancer is available only at Regional Cancer Institutes and medical colleges. Since the equipment presently being used is expensive, many medical colleges are unable to afford it. “This device, ‘AV Magni-Visualiser’ which will be much cost effective, will roll out at the district and sub-district Community Health Centres (CMCs) and subsequently at Primary Health Centres (PHCs). As not all PHCs have lady doctors and nurses, staffing and training will form an important part of roll out plan,” Azad said.
Pointing out that cervical cancer is highly prevalent in Adolescent girls, the Health Minister said, “We hope to target them for screening. Early detection will bring down the death rate.