National parliamentary panel calls for expedited HPV vaccine rollout, enhanced cancer control efforts

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-08-21 03:17:10 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-21 06:48:51

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A parliamentary panel in India has urged the government to accelerate the roll-out of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine across the country to prevent cervical cancer, citing the burden of the disease which kills nearly 90,000 Indian women annually.

The recommendation forms part of a broader set of proposals aimed at strengthening cancer control initiatives in India, which included an appeal to the Government to formulate a focused inter-ministerial strategy to address the country's rapidly increasing cancer burden.

The HPV vaccine, according to the panel, should be made universally available and be integrated into existing childcare programs, thus making it more accessible and affordable for all Indian women.

The appeal comes at a crucial time when recent studies highlighting the enormous burden of cancer in the country have urged the Indian government to adopt innovative policies and strategies to combat the disease. With nearly 11.5 lakh new cases diagnosed annually, cancer is rapidly emerging as one of the biggest health challenges in India.

The need for a multi-ministry approach reflects the complex and diverse factors influencing cancer in the country, ranging from pollution to lifestyle and nutritional factors.

It is hoped that these recommendations lead to concrete policy actions and ultimately help mitigate the growing cancer burden in India.

Given the magnitude and urgency of the cancer challenge in India, the need for such measures is long overdue.

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