NEW DELHI: Noting that cervical cancer was the second-most common cancer among women in India, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said it has started “capacity building exercises of medical and para-medical staff for the cervical cancer vaccine.”
In a written reply, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jhadav, said that currently, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is not a part of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
“However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated the capacity building exercise of medical and para-medical staff for the cervical cancer vaccine,” he said.
Cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in India, is a preventable and curable disease if detected early and treated adequately. Cervical cancer, which has posed a significant public health challenge in India, accounts for 25% cervical cancer deaths in the world.
India has reported over 80,000 cervical cancer cases in 2023-24.
The Union Budget 2024 prioritised the phased introduction of the cervical vaccine. Although the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) had already recommended the inclusion of HPV vaccination into the UIP, the government has yet to include it.
However, some states like Sikkim, Bihar and Tamil Nadu have already started vaccination against cervical cancer.