New Delhi, March 5 (IANS). Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda, while virtually addressing the press briefing held at the World Health Organization headquarters on Thursday, stressed India’s firm commitment to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem and strengthen global collaboration on critical health challenges.
Addressing the gathering, Union Health Minister JP Nadda emphasized that women’s health and dignity remains a key national priority for India and reiterated the country’s unwavering commitment to protect women from preventable diseases like cervical cancer.
Highlighting India’s comprehensive strategy to tackle the disease, he said that cervical cancer remains a significant public health challenge globally and in India as well. Therefore, the Government of India has adopted a multi-pronged approach focused on prevention, screening, early detection and timely treatment.
A key pillar of India’s strategy has been the expansion of population-based screening programs under the National Program for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control (NP-NCD), implemented as part of comprehensive primary health services. Cervical cancer screening by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is now available for women aged 30 to 65 years at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and various health centers across the country.
JP Nadda said that more than 8.6 crore women have been screened for cervical cancer under this programme, which shows India’s continued commitment towards early detection and prevention.
The Union Health Minister announced a significant milestone in India’s fight against cervical cancer, the launch of the nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign. He said that on February 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National HPV Vaccination Campaign, which aims to vaccinate 12 million girls aged 14 years. This is an important step towards protecting the health and well-being of adolescent girls.
The campaign will run for 90 days and will include one dose of Gardasil quadrivalent vaccine as per the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the National Technical Advisory Group of India (NTAGI). This vaccine is being made available free of cost at designated government health centres.
Emphasizing the community-centric nature of the initiative, Nadda said the HPV vaccination program is voluntary, with parental consent serving as the cornerstone of the campaign, reflecting community values and respect for family autonomy.
Nadda acknowledged the vital role played by India’s frontline health workers, who have been instrumental in reaching out to communities, building trust and ensuring the successful implementation of the campaign.
The Union Health Minister said that India fully supports and actively collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer, including the 90-70-90 target set for 2030.
He stressed that a comprehensive approach integrating vaccination of adolescent girls, population-based screening of adult women and timely access to quality treatment is necessary to achieve elimination targets.
Concluding his address, Nadda called for stronger global collaboration to end cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Addressing the press briefing, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, highlighted several serious global health challenges, including obesity, HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer, stressing the importance of continued global collaboration and scientific innovation in tackling these public health issues.
Talking about the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Dr. Tedros noted that significant progress has been made in reducing the global burden of the disease. He also noted that WHO has supported nine countries in implementing and operationalizing HIV prevention measures, strengthening global efforts to stop the epidemic.
Discussing the topic of cervical cancer, Dr. Tedros highlighted that the recent celebration of International HPV Awareness Day is an important reminder of the global commitment to end cervical cancer as a public health problem.
She reiterated the importance of WHO’s 90-70-90 global goals for 2030, which aim to ensure that 90 per cent of girls are vaccinated against HPV, 70 per cent of women are screened for cervical cancer and 90 per cent of women receive appropriate treatment.
Dr Tedros appreciated the commitment of the Indian leadership to tackle cervical cancer through comprehensive public health initiatives. He praised the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it the world’s largest free HPV vaccination campaign.
She said that about 12 million adolescent girls will be vaccinated annually under this programme, which is an important step towards protecting future generations from cervical cancer.
Highlighting the burden of this disease, Dr Tedros said that more than 80,000 women lose their lives to cervical cancer every year in India, while about 42,000 new cases are reported annually, underscoring the importance of preventive measures such as HPV vaccination and early screening.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also reaffirmed the World Health Organization’s continued support for countries taking bold and transformative initiatives to eliminate cervical cancer and advance women’s health globally.
South African Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was also present at the press conference virtually and congratulated India for launching the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign.
–IANS
AMT/DKP
