free-hpv-jab-for-14-year-old-girls-in-nagaland

Nagaland on Saturday rolled out a free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for all eligible 14-year-old girls, in a major public health push to eliminate cervical cancer in the state.

The state-level launch was held at the Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima, coinciding with the national rollout by Narendra Modi from Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was scheduled to attend the event but could not do so due to engagements related to the upcoming budget session of the Nagaland Assembly.

Addressing the gathering, Anoop Khinchi, commissioner and secretary to the government of Nagaland, described cervical cancer as a major public health concern in India and globally. He said nearly 99.7 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused by persistent infection of the genital tract with high-risk types of HPV.

Citing national data, Khinchi stated that India records an average of 1.25 lakh new cervical cancer cases annually, with around 78,000 deaths each year. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the country, accounting for 18.3 per cent of female cancers. 

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He noted that the disease commonly affects women between 35 and 55 years of age, often disrupting families and the upbringing of children.

Emphasising that cervical cancer is fully preventable through vaccination, Khinchi said the campaign aims to vaccinate all eligible girls aged 14 years with a single dose of the Gardasil 4 vaccine.

The vaccination drive will be conducted over a three-month period, during which the HPV vaccine will be available daily at government health facilities across Nagaland to ensure maximum coverage, he said. The vaccine is voluntary, and parental or guardian consent is mandatory.

Referring to the global strategy of the World Health Organisation to eliminate cervical cancer, Khinchi highlighted the 90-70-90 targets to be achieved by 2030, 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated by age 15, 70 per cent of women screened by ages 35 and 45, and 90 per cent of women with cervical disease receiving appropriate treatment.

The WHO also proposes reducing cervical cancer incidence to below four cases per one lakh women in every country as part of its elimination strategy.