In a bid to stamp out the menace of cervical cancer in the state, the Punjab government would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UNICEF to procure 40,000 doses of vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in a phased manner. With this decision, Punjab would be the first state in the country to launch this free vaccination program to eradicate the curse of cervical cancer.A decision to this effect was taken by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal during a high level meeting with the senior officers of the Health & Family Welfare Department here at Chief Minister’s Residence on late evening on Monday. The Chief Minister gave nod to the Health & Family Welfare Department for entering into a MoU with UNICEF for the procurement of the requisite doses of HPV vaccine and assured regular flow of funds to implement this mega vaccination program project in the right earnest. Mr. Badal emphasized the need to create awareness amongst the general public especially in rural areas about the preventive measures and cure of cervical cancer through launching a mass media campaign.
Taking part in the deliberations, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mrs. Vini Mahajan apprised the Chief Minister that a technical expert group under the Chairmanship of Health & Family Welfare Advisor to the Punjab government Dr. KK Talwar recommended that approximately 10,000 schools girls of class VI studying in government schools would be covered under first phase in districts of Mansa and Bathinda as the primary target group of girls ranges between 9-13 years. Nearly 20,000 doses in the first phase would be given to the girls but subsequently, entire two lac girls all over the state of class 6 in government and private schools and even drop outs would be covered in the next phase. Under the first phase, vaccination would begin in November and all the Community Health Centres, Sub Divisional and District Hospitals administered the doses to the girls. She told that the Departments of Planning and Finance have already given their concurrence to carry out this mass vaccination program to eradicate the curse of cervix cancer.
Mrs. Mahajan informed the Chief Minister that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women in India. Globally, every year estimated 2.5 lac women die of cancer. India was the fourth largest contributor to these deaths with estimated 67,000 deaths per year. It is the second most prevalent cancer (after breast cancer) in Punjab. Although the trends of incidence of cancer in Punjab are similar to national level, but unfortunately districts of Mansa and Bathinda have higher incidence of cervical cancer as compared to rest of the districts of Punjab. Cervical cancer was more prevalent in rural areas than the urban ones. She clarified that since this imported vaccination was already available in open market and most of the affluent families were administering the requisite doses to their daughters as preventive measure. Showing grave concern to curb the cervical cancer in Punjab, the state government has now decided to administer doses of this vaccination to the targeted group of girls at free of cost.
According to the report of development of an Atlas of cancer in Punjab state for the years 2012-13, National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research and national Cancer Registry Program, ICMR, New Delhi, the incidence of cervical cancer in Bathinda was the highest with 17.5 followed Mansa 17.3, Faridkot 14.6, Sri Muktsar Sahib 12.7, Mohali 12, Sangrur 11.1, Moga 10.2, Fatehgarh Sahib 10, Amritsar 9.7, Ludhiana 9.4, Jalandhar 9.1, Roop Nagar 8.1, Kapurthala 8 and Hoshiarpur 7.3.The meeting attended by Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Surjit Kumar Jyani, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Mr. DP Reddy, Principal Secretary to CM Mr. SK Sandhu, Advisor to Health & Family Welfare Department Dr. KK Talwar, Principal Secretary Health Mrs. Vinni Mahajan and Special Secretary Health Mr. Vikas Garg