India is taking improved measures to tackle cervical cancer.
According to The Lancet, in an effort to curb the disease among women in India, there is going to be an increase in the delivery of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for adolescent girls.
HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer, and an earlier report by FIT added that studies have found that the HPV vaccine has been observed to be reducing infections, genital and anal warts, and precancerous lesions in young women and girls in more than a dozen wealthy countries.
Cervical cancer, mainly caused by HPV, is the leading cancer in Indian women, the second most common cancer in women worldwide, and the fifth most common cancer in humans. India has one-fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer-related deaths.
The Lancet study highlights how the continued distribution of this affordable vaccine shows promise for more widespread implementation throughout the country.
Earlier in India, there was some resistance to the vaccine, despite the fact that HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection (STD) globally. Most people are infected at some point in their lives.
The report adds that, “cervical cancer is a major public health problem in India, predominantly affecting women of lower socioeconomic status,” although it adds that poor awareness about the vaccine still dominates.
HPV vaccination was introduced in the public health services by 2009 but the follow up has been staggered as it was canceled following some unrelated deaths.
However, since 2016, Punjab and Sikkim have re-introduced the HPV vaccine in their imminisation programs. Even the Delhi government made efforts to re-introduce this vaccine as a single dose answer to protect women.
HPV vaccines can help both vaccinated and unvaccinated girls and boys if given to “enough young girls” since less sexually active people would be hosting the virus.
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