Bhubaneswar: The state govt will launch a free statewide immunisation programme to protect girls against cervical cancer on Feb 28.State health minister Mukesh Mahaling announced this on the sidelines of a blood donation camp organised in the city on Wednesday. The immunisation programme, he said, will be a part of the nationwide human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination drive for adolescent girls, which will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the day.
Mahaling said girls up to the age of 14 years would be provided a single dose of the vaccine free of cost at all designated govt health centres. In addition, he said, three doses will be administered free to them from 14 years of age until their marriage. “We are currently discussing the modalities of the HPV vaccination drive for girls above 14 years of age and examining the standard operating procedure (SOP) released by the ministry of health for the purpose,” he said. The vaccine will be made available in all govt health centres by the health and family welfare department, Mahaling said.The health minister also spoke about the Mukhya Mantri Cancer Care Abhiyan, which was recently announced in the state budget. The campaign is a revamped version of the existing Odisha Cancer Care Plan, and the minister proposed an allocation of Rs 311 crore for it, under which intensive community awareness, extensive village-level screening and mobile camps, a cancer registry, a digital hub-and-spoke model for early treatment, and free patient transportation services will be provided.“Cervical cancer is the second-most common form of cancer in women, with breast cancer being the first,” said gynaecologist Dr Sujata Kar. She said it is preventable if diagnosed early through regular screening with a pap smear test. “The problem we mostly see is women finding out about it at a later stage, and it is mostly seen among rural women because of lack of awareness of cervical cancer and hygiene issues,” she said. The gynaecologist suggested that women after 18 years of age, or after becoming sexually active, should take the pap smear test once a year.Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will launch the statewide programme in the presence of the state health minister.
