Importance of HPV vaccination in India’s fight against cervical cancer
Despite advances in health care, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India.
1.27 lakh cases and around 80,000 deaths being reported annually.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a primary culprit in the development of cervical cancer.
In response to this pressing public health challenge, HPV vaccination emerged as a cornerstone of a comprehensive strategy for disease prevention and health promotion.
The World Health Organization has outlined the ‘90-70-90’ targets by 2030 — for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15, for 70% of women to undergo cervical cancer screening tests by the age of 35 and 45, and for 90% of women with cervical cancer to be treated.
These targets represent milestones in the global effort to eradicate cervical cancer and highlight the pivotal role of India’s call for HPV vaccination in achieving this goal.
Across the world, over 100 countries have implemented HPV vaccination programmes, resulting in a notable decline in the incidence of cervical cancer.
A study out of Scotland illuminates the real-world impact of HPV vaccines.
The findings show that there have been no reported cases of cervical cancer among women born between 1988 and 1996 who received full HPV vaccination between the ages of 12 and 13.
Australia, which initiated HPV vaccination for girls in 2007 and expanded to include boys in 2013, is poised to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035.
Similarly, the successful HPV vaccination campaign in Rwanda, Africa, has significantly reduced the prevalence of vaccine-targeted HPV types, particularly among women who
participated in their catch-up programme in 2011.
These global success stories underscore the importance of prioritising vaccination for tackling cervical cancer.
Closer to home, six out of the 11 South East Asia Region countries have introduced the HPV vaccine nationwide, i.e., Bhutan, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Bhutan was the first low-middle income country (LMIC) to introduce a nationwide HPV vaccination programme for girls (12 to 18 years) in 2010 and achieved an initial coverage of 95% of targeted girls.
Bhutan is also one of the only LMICs to have begun vaccinating boys as well (in 2021).
Ongoing programme assessments and research in Thimphu have observed a reduction in the prevalence of HPV types targeted by the vaccine, indicating the programme’s broader impact on reducing HPV transmission in the community.
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