New Delhi, January 17 (IANS). Strengthening access to vaccination and DNA-based screening against human papillomavirus (HPV) is critical to eliminating cervical cancer in India. Health Ministry officials said this on Saturday.
These experts were speaking at India’s first national summit organized by AIIMS, which aims to accelerate the agenda of cervical cancer elimination.
Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director, National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.
“Eliminating cervical cancer is an achievable goal for India and we are fully committed to taking rapid action at all three levels – prevention, screening and treatment,” he said.
Patnaik further added, “Our focus is on rapidly expanding HPV vaccination and strengthening screening at all levels, especially through high-performance methods like HPV DNA testing, so that every woman can get timely testing and treatment. Through strong systems, clear operational protocols and sustained partnerships with states and other stakeholders, we can make cervical cancer elimination a reality and protect the health of millions of women across the country.”
NITI Aayog Member (Health) Prof. Dr. V.K. “India has a historic opportunity to end cervical cancer, but it requires speed, wide-scale implementation and system-wide coordination,” Paul said.
Emphasizing the need for an evidence-based implementation model, she said, “We need to launch pilot projects that show how HPV DNA-based screening and self-sampling can be implemented at scale, especially through primary health services. This will help India develop a national model so that every woman can benefit from timely screening, accurate testing, and effective follow-up.”
AIIMS’s Dr. B.R. Organized by the departments of Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Onco-Anesthesia and Palliative Medicine at Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, the summit focused on three key pillars.
These ranged from expanding HPV vaccination, strengthening screening through high-performance HPV DNA testing, promoting self-sampling methods, and linking the entire process with effective cancer treatment.
The conference also discussed creating uniform national standard operating procedures, implementing a hub-and-spoke care model, and simplifying treatment and follow-up processes to ensure uniform and high-quality care across the country.
AIIMS’s Dr. B.R. Dr Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, said, “Cervical cancer can no longer be tackled in isolation. Bringing together the government, physicians, innovators and patient representatives creates the momentum and accountability needed to accelerate prevention, early detection and effective treatment.”
“Through this initiative, we aim to set out clear and practical recommendations that will guide India’s cervical cancer elimination roadmap,” she said.
The summit was attended by more than 500 participants including representatives from AIIMS institutes, state health departments, cancer institutes, WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, civil society organizations and industry from across the country. The conference concluded with a national ‘Call to Action’ outlining priority steps to accelerate cervical cancer elimination in India.
–IANS
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