By anjali
Poonam Pandey, an actress and model, passed away on Friday at the age of 32 after battling cervical cancer, as confirmed by her media manager. Coincidentally, the announcement comes just a day after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget for 2024-25 in Parliament, where she introduced a proposal to promote vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) in order to prevent cervical cancer.
Who qualifies for the cervical cancer vaccination program?
Sitharaman announced that the government will promote HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14 to prevent cervical cancer, but did not disclose specific details about the program. The government is reportedly considering price caps to make cervical cancer vaccines more accessible, and will also promote HPV vaccination through Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities.
‘Cervavac’ is a vaccine for cervical cancer that has been recently developed in India.
Indian researchers have recently created ‘Cervavac’, the initial homegrown vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus, which has the ability to prevent cervical cancer and other cancers associated with HPV.
Created and produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) based in Pune, this vaccine is set to be integrated into India’s national immunization program by 2024.
What is cervical cancer?
Cancer is a condition characterized by abnormal cell growth and spread, impacting both humans and nearly all other animal species. Evidence of cancer has been discovered in the skeletal remains of ancient humans.
There are over 100 different types of cancer, each requiring unique diagnosis and treatment. Among them is cervical cancer.
In India, cervical cancer ranks as the second most prevalent form of cancer and is responsible for a quarter of global cervical cancer-related deaths, despite being largely preventable. Annually, approximately 125,000 women in India are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with over 75,000 succumbing to the disease. In India, 83% of invasive cervical cancers are associated with HPVs 16 or 18, compared to the global average of 70%.
During the launch event of ‘Cervavac’, Union Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized that the most effective method to prevent cervical cancer is through vaccination against the human papillomavirus. The combination of HPV types 16 and 18 is responsible for approximately 70 percent of all cases of invasive cervical cancer globally.
