NEW DELHI: As many as 50,000 physicians, including gynaecologists and paediatricians in small cities and towns, will be trained in creating awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer.
They will also ensure HPV vaccination in the country.
The idea behind training the physicians, associated with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), is to eliminate cervical cancer from the country.
Cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in India, is a preventable and curable disease if detected early and treated adequately.
The training of IMA-linked physicians will be undertaken following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).
Under the MoU, a one-year training programme will be undertaken at the prestigious All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (AICOG) conference at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
"This collaborative effort, supported by the Cancer Foundation of India and the American Cancer Society, marks a milestone in India's journey to eliminate cervical cancer through public health education and widespread HPV vaccination," said IMA National President Dr Dilip Bhanushali and Honorary Secretary General, Dr Sarbari Dutta in a statement.
Under this programme, faculty from FOGSI will train 50,000 IMA physicians across Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities, focusing on general physicians, gynecologists, and paediatricians.
FOGSI had earlier trained over 10,000 of its members. Now, these, in turn, will train members of IMA, which is the largest medical society in India with over 4 lakh members.
Speaking with this paper, Dr. Bhanushali said, “We would like to empower our physicians with accurate knowledge and confidence to bridge awareness gaps and enhance HPV vaccine uptake. Our aim is to ensure future generations of Indian girls are protected from cervical cancer."
The vaccine is available for IMA members at Rs. 2,000. Earlier, the cost was over Rs. 3,000. “We are going to approach the government to provide the vaccine at a subsidised rate for the public.”
The training modules will include evidence-based guidelines and practical strategies for confidently recommending the HPV vaccine.
"By equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools to address vaccine hesitancy, this initiative directly supports the India government’s plan to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer through HPV vaccination," the statement said.
Cervical cancer is on its way to elimination, globally and one of the key strategies to eliminate it is to vaccinate 90% young girls (9-14 years) against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer in their adulthood, said Dr. Bhanushali, who is based in Hyderabad
"The HPV vaccine has been proven to be highly effective in preventing infections that are the primary cause of cervical cancer," he added.
Cervical cancer is a significant public health challenge in India, accounting for 77,348 cervical cancer deaths in women, annually.
Since India accounts for 25% cervical cancer deaths in the world, the need of the time is to increase the uptake of HPV vaccination in the country, he added.
Although the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) had already recommended the inclusion of HPV vaccination into the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the government is yet to include it.
India’s Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in 2023 granted market authorisation to the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture indigenously-developed India’s first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer. The vaccine is available in the private sector.