BENGALURU: To significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, the State Health Department, in partnership with the Karnataka chapter of ECHO India, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists organisation, and several NGOs, launched ‘Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination - CCE: The Karnataka Movement’.
This initiative aims to enhance vaccination, screening, and preventive care, to position Karnataka as a model state in the fight against this disease.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao inaugurated the initiative on October 3. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to cervical cancer prevention and treatment. “The government is implementing all possible efforts to make cervical cancer prevention and treatment accessible to every woman, ensuring early detection and timely intervention to save lives,” he added.
Dr Hema Divakar, Division Director for Well Woman Healthcare, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), highlighted that while national efforts are underway, Karnataka must take the lead in driving awareness, implementing vaccination and screening strategies in alignment with the WHO’s strategy.
Dr H Sudarshan, Trustee of ECHO India, urged the government to prioritise the immunisation of young girls, stating, “While we have made great strides in screening and building capacity for cervical cancer prevention, we must now focus on ensuring that young girls are vaccinated.”