CERVICAL CANCER

• Studies indicate that the incidence of Cervical Cancer is inversely proportional to the human development index of countries.
• The National Technical Advisory Group for Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
• UIP is one of the largest public health programmes which offers free vaccines for at least 12 diseases.
• It successfully eradicated diseases like polio and maternal & neonatal tetanus.

• Cervical Cancer is preventable & curable if it is detected early & managed effectively.
• It is the second most common cancer in Indian Women & the cause of a large number of deaths annually.
• It is caused by infection with the Human Papilloma Virus & there are vaccines to protect against cancerous HPV.
• According to a recent study, more than 58% of all cases of cervical cancer & deaths globally were estimated in Asia with India-21% of cases & 23% of deaths, followed by China (18% &17%).
• Globally there were an estimated 6,04,127 cervical cancer cases in 2020, with an incidence rate of 13.3 new cases per 1lakh women a year.
• In India, the incidence rate is 18 per 1 lakh women.
• The WHO specified that countries must maintain an incidence rate of fewer than 4 new cases per 1 lakh women by 2030.
• To achieve that goal, one of the most important things is that 90% of girls will have to be vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15.

• The indigenous HPV vaccine, called CER-VAVAC, is likely to be rolled out by mid-2023.
• The vaccine got the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India & was cleared by the Government advisory panel, NTAGI, for use in the UIP programme.
• A one-time catch-up vaccine will be given to 9-14-year-old adolescent girls before it is introduced at nine years.
• States & Union Territories were asked to issue directives to appropriate authorities for organising HPV vaccinations in schools.
• The government clarified that girls who do not attend schools will be given the vaccines by community outreach & mobile health teams.
• Together with vaccination, screening programmes need to be conducted regularly to detect early signs of the disease that will allow time for treatment.
• The Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness centres are screening for common cancers like oral, breast & cervical with over 5 crore women being screened.

• The burden of cervical cancer remains high in Asia & Africa.
• There is substantial geographical & socioeconomic inequality in cervical cancer globally, with a clear gradient of increasing rates for countries with lower levels of human development.
• India ranked 132 out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index in 2022.
• Health experts say the fact that India's fertility rate is declining due to various factors including improved literacy rate, increase in the age of marriage etc.

• Once the vaccine is launched through the UIP, which is a well-oiled network in India, it should reach the maximum number of the targeted population.
• The surveillance systems & infrastructure used for COVID-19 vaccination may be customised to improve HPV vaccination, monitor national cervical screening programmes & improve health system capacity to deliver more efficient preventive services.