With cervical cancer killing nearly 62,000 Indian women in 2015, international crusaders against the disease say that it is high time the HPV vaccine is included in the national immunisation programme, as it has been done in Latin American and a few African nations.Cervical cancer has killed more women in India than breast cancer, and accounts for 24 per cent of the cancer-related deaths in women according to the latest estimates by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Two leading cervical cancer researchers, Dr Isaac Manyoda a gynaecologist with St George's Hospital in London and Dr Harshad Sanghvi, vice-president and medical director-Innovation Development at Jhpiego (an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The John Hopkins University), Marlyland, USA were in the city as part of an awareness programme on cervical cancer immunisation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr Manyoda said, "In the UK, the vaccination programmes are up-and-running even though the urgency is not at the same as it is in India. In the UK, less than 300 women die of cervical cancer every year because they have a very strong screening programme. But the problem with developing countries is that they cannot afford to set up these screening units, which is why vaccination is the easiest form of preventing the disease."
Usually the cancer is detected by a papsmear test and setting up a diagnostic facility and recruiting specialists who are highly trained can be very expensive. Dr Sanghvi says, "India should take examples from African countries like Uganda and a few Latin American countries have taken the initiative to negotiate the cost of the vaccine with the Global Alliance for Vaccines. Cost is a huge factor that prevents many countries from introducing this vaccine as part of their immunisation programmes."
As of now, the cost of a single dose of HPV vaccine is Rs 2,000. It is manufactured by two companies -- Glaxo Smith Kline and Merck. Whenever there is a vaccine that is exclusively produced by the private sector there is always reluctance on the part of the government to introduce it as part of the national immunisation programme especially in countries like India, experts said.
Dr Sanghvi says, "In the United states, there are strong advocacy groups that work with the government to promote the vaccination programme. We have also been mapping the states who lag." Most countries also have a very strong school health programme. Which India does not have.
Now, a local training institute, Artist (Asian Research and Training Institute for skill transfer) headed by Dr Hema Diwakar, who is also the ambassador for FIGO (Federation of International Gynaecologists and Obstetricians) is looking to train health workers in administering the vaccine.
Source : BangaloreMirror
Two leading cervical cancer researchers, Dr Isaac Manyoda a gynaecologist with St George's Hospital in London and Dr Harshad Sanghvi, vice-president and medical director-Innovation Development at Jhpiego (an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The John Hopkins University), Marlyland, USA were in the city as part of an awareness programme on cervical cancer immunisation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr Manyoda said, "In the UK, the vaccination programmes are up-and-running even though the urgency is not at the same as it is in India. In the UK, less than 300 women die of cervical cancer every year because they have a very strong screening programme. But the problem with developing countries is that they cannot afford to set up these screening units, which is why vaccination is the easiest form of preventing the disease."
Usually the cancer is detected by a papsmear test and setting up a diagnostic facility and recruiting specialists who are highly trained can be very expensive. Dr Sanghvi says, "India should take examples from African countries like Uganda and a few Latin American countries have taken the initiative to negotiate the cost of the vaccine with the Global Alliance for Vaccines. Cost is a huge factor that prevents many countries from introducing this vaccine as part of their immunisation programmes."
As of now, the cost of a single dose of HPV vaccine is Rs 2,000. It is manufactured by two companies -- Glaxo Smith Kline and Merck. Whenever there is a vaccine that is exclusively produced by the private sector there is always reluctance on the part of the government to introduce it as part of the national immunisation programme especially in countries like India, experts said.
Dr Sanghvi says, "In the United states, there are strong advocacy groups that work with the government to promote the vaccination programme. We have also been mapping the states who lag." Most countries also have a very strong school health programme. Which India does not have.
Now, a local training institute, Artist (Asian Research and Training Institute for skill transfer) headed by Dr Hema Diwakar, who is also the ambassador for FIGO (Federation of International Gynaecologists and Obstetricians) is looking to train health workers in administering the vaccine.
Source : BangaloreMirror
