Monday, July 7, 2014

Symposium held on HPV vaccine and Cervical Cancer; Experts recommend vaccination programme

GANGTOK, 06 July: A symposium on HPV vaccination and Cervical Cancer Prevention was organized by the Cancer Foundation of India here on Saturday. The symposium had experts and representatives from AIIMS, ICMR and other institutes from different parts of the country along with Health Department officials from North-Eastern states.
The symposium was inaugurated by the Health Secretary, Dr K Bhandari. The need for such a symposium was felt in light of the criticism of the State Government’s initiative to launch HPV vaccination in the State. Opposition parties, including the SKM, had thumbed down the project arguing that the vaccination was unsafe. The government had then put the programme on hold and resolved to bring it back after adequate awareness and consensus had been developed on its safety and benefits.
Addressing a press conference after the symposium, the resource persons mentioned how cervical cancer had become a major health concern.
They stressed that cervical cancer was totally preventable which was why representatives from north-eastern states had been called for the symposium [since mortality due to cervical cancer was high in the NE].
They reiterated that HPV vaccine has been found to be successful and safe hence the symposium to discuss with and advise government representatives to take this programme forward in their respective states. They also mentioned that more than 100 countries have adopted this programme and of these, 60 countries have taken it as a national programme.

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