The State-level launch for National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination was held on Saturday at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) under the aegis of the Department of Health & Family Welfare.
Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland, Anoop Khinchi, IAS, led the State launch and addressed officials and healthcare workers after witnessing the national programme.
The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Programme against cervical cancer was virtually launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ajmer, Rajasthan
In his address, Khinchi stated that cervical cancer remained a major public health concern in India and across the world. He explained that cervical cancer, which affects the lower end of the uterus known as the cervix, was largely preventable yet continued to claim thousands of lives annually. He informed that nearly 99.7% of cervical cancer cases were caused by persistent infection of the genital tract by high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Highlighting the national burden, he said cervical cancer was the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in India and accounted for 18.3% of all female cancers in the country. He noted that the disease primarily affected women between 35 and 55 years of age, often disrupting families, impacting child upbringing, and creating socio-economic hardships.
However, Khinchi underscored that cervical cancer was fully preventable through vaccination. He informed that the campaign aimed to vaccinate all eligible girls aged 14 years across the country with a single dose of the Gardasil-4 vaccine at government health facilities.
He stated that designated health facilities would be equipped with functional cold chain points and supported by dedicated medical officers to manage any Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI). The vaccination drive would be conducted over a period of three months, during which the HPV vaccine would be made available daily to ensure maximum coverage of eligible beneficiaries. Thereafter, the vaccine would continue to be provided at the same facilities on routine immunization days.
Khinchi further clarified that the HPV vaccine would be administered free of cost. He said the vaccination was voluntary and that prior consent from parents or guardians was mandatory before inoculation.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
Referring to the global strategy for elimination of cervical cancer, he noted that the World Health Organization had proposed a threshold of four cases per one lakh women in every country. He elaborated on the 90-70-90 targets to be achieved by 2030, which envisaged 90% of girls being fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women being screened by ages 35 and again at 45, and 90% of women diagnosed with cervical disease receiving appropriate treatment.
Calling for collective support, Khinchi urged stakeholders to work together to ensure the success of the HPV vaccination programme so that all eligible girls in the State were protected against cervical cancer.
The programme at NHAK was chaired by Director, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Dr Sendimeren Aonok, while the invocation was pronounced by former NHAK chaplain, Vikepu Tepa.
