Interim Budget 2024 has been announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, wherein the Central Govt will actively promote vaccination among girls aged 9-14 years to prevent cervical cancer. Various schemes for maternal child care will be brought under one comprehensive programme for synergy in implementation, upgrades of Anganwadi centres under saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care, and development,” she said while presenting the interim budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha.
After Co-Win, Govt has launched a U-win platform to digitise India’s universal immunisation programme, which will be the single source of information for immunisation services. The rapid implementation of the newly designed U-win platform to digitise the HPV vaccination program is on the agenda.
Cervical Cancer Incidence Statistics
As per the Article Published in the Lancet dated October 13, 2023
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00156-7/fulltext
- Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and the second most common cancer among females in India.
- Cervical cancer is associated with the prevalence of human papillomavirus and lower socioeconomic status.
- It currently accounts for about 10% of all female cancers, though the incidence is decreasing.
- The first population-based survival study from Bangalore, India, reported a 5-year cervical cancer survival rate of 38.3%.
- A recent SurvCan-3 study reported a 5-year cervical cancer survival rate in India, ranging between 38.6% and 63.9%.
- These previous studies were from a limited number of geographic areas. A more extensive and more disturbed updated population-based survival study on cervical cancer from India is helpful to assess the country’s cervical cancer control efforts.
Current Price of HPV Vaccine
- The cost of a single dose of cervical vaccine at a private hospital is around Rs 4,000
- Speculation is there that the cost of the vaccination against cervical cancer may go down after the Govt focuses on the vaccination program.