BENGALURU: With a view to reducing cervical cancer among women in Karnataka, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) is in discussion with the private investors and doctors to provide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for girls in 13 to 15 years age group in government schools.
An official from RGUHS said, “It might take a week to work out the nominal prices for these vaccines, to decide the brand of vaccine and the content present in it. Different brands of vaccines come with different price ranges starting from Rs 2,000 to 5,000. Besides, various screening centres will be set up so that mothers are screened before the girls are given vaccination.”
He added, “A circular will be released from the RGUHS regarding the vaccination to prevent cervical cancer in a week. Campaigns about this disease, training staff at schools and creating awareness will be done by doctors across the state. All this has to be done to take students into confidence before they are vaccinated.”
Dr Hema Divakar, Gynecologist and Director for HDR health care foundation, said, “It is a good initiative but its implementation must be accelerated. There is high prevalence of cervical cancer among women and 25 % of the burden is on India. Around 75,000 deaths of women occur in a year due to cervical cancer because they are detected at an advanced stage. But this is totally preventable.”
Asked if there are any parameters to be tested while vaccinating girls, she explained, “It is a universal immunisation like polio and 9 to 14 years age group is the best time frame for girls to get vaccination. There is no contraindication to vaccines for girls but mothers are screened during this campaign to detect HPV. Our campaigns include to screen the mother and vaccinate the daughter. Two doses are given to girls in India, the second dose is given in the six months time frame of the first dose. If children are vaccinated then they will not have this burden of cervical cancer and it can be eliminated by 2030.”
Dr Hema said that screening of mothers during these campaigns will help to know the duration of the presence of HPV virus in the cervix, are there any precancerous cells and so on to decide the next mode of treatment. Dr Hema and the team of gynecologists have trained doctors across the state and has vaccinated over 7,000 girls studying in government schools in Mysuru, Bengaluru, Hassan, Bidar and Kalaburgi.
“We will create four levels of awareness programmes including teachers, students, parents, religious leaders or politicians of a particular area, district or taluk. We take the consent of parents before giving vaccination to the girls. A nominal charge of Rs 500 is charged which are sponsored by private organisations and individuals. The remaining amount is borne by us,” she said.
The story is reported by Rashmi Patil for The New Indian Express
