To stamp out the menace of cervical cancer in Punjab, the state government has decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UNICEF to procure 40,000 doses of vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in a phased manner.
With this, Punjab would be the first state in the country to launch the free vaccination program to eradicate the curse of cervical cancer.
The decision was taken by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a high-level meeting with the senior officers of the state Health and Family Welfare Department on late Monday.
Badal gave nod to the Health and Family Welfare Department for entering into a MoU with UNICEF for the procurement of the requisite doses of HPV vaccine and assured regular flow of funds to implement this mega vaccination program project in the right earnest.
He emphasised the need to create awareness among the general public especially in rural areas about the preventive measures and cure of cervical cancer through launching a mass media campaign.
Taking part in the deliberations, the state Principal Secretary for Health and Family Welfare Vini Mahajan apprised the Chief Minister that a technical expert group under the chairmanship of Health and Family Welfare Advisor to the Punjab Government Dr KK Talwar recommended that approximately 10,000 schools girls of Class-VI studying in government schools would be covered under first phase in districts of Mansa and Bathinda as the primary target group of girls ranges between nine to 13 years.
Nearly 20,000 doses in the first phase would be given to the girls but subsequently, entire two lakh girls, all over the state of Class-VI in government and private schools and even drop outs would be covered in the next phase.
Under the first phase, vaccination would begin in November and all the Community Health Centres, Sub-Divisional and District Hospitals will administer the doses to girls.
She told that the Departments of Planning and Finance have already given their concurrence to carry out this mass vaccination program to eradicate the curse of cervix cancer.
Sharing the report of development of an Atlas of cancer in Punjab for the years 2012-13 by the National Centre for Disease Informatics Research and national Cancer Registry Program, ICMR, New Delhi, Mahajan said that the incidence of cervical cancer in Bathinda was the highest with 17.5 followed Mansa 17.3, Faridkot 14.6, Sri Muktsar Sahib 12.7, Mohali 12, Sangrur 11.1, Moga 10.2, Fatehgarh Sahib 10, Amritsar 9.7, ludhiana 9.4, Jalandhar 9.1, Roop Nagar 8.1, Kapurthala 8 and Hoshiarpur 7.3.