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New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry is set to initiate capacity building activities for frontline workers involved in administering the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to sources. This move follows Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s interim budget speech in 2024, where she emphasized the government’s commitment to encouraging HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14 years to prevent cervical cancer.
The Union Health Ministry has been actively strategizing for the implementation of this initiative, holding several meetings to develop a detailed plan. An official source revealed that the ministry is planning the rollout of capacity building activities for frontline workers, alongside information, education, and communication (IEC) activities to raise awareness about HPV vaccination.
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) had recommended the introduction of the HPV vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme for adolescent girls aged 9-14 years in June 2022.
Currently, the Indian market offers vaccines from two manufacturers: MSD Pharmaceuticals and Serum Institute of India. Both MSD Pharmaceuticals’ Gardasil 4 and Serum Institute’s Cervavac are quadrivalent vaccines, targeting HPV sub-types 6, 11, 16, and 18. MSD’s Gardasil 9, the first gender-neutral HPV vaccine in India, is also available. This 9-valent vaccine targets sub-types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 among Indian girls and women (aged 9-26 years) and boys (aged 9-15 years).
These vaccines offer protection against cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers in females, as well as anal cancer and genital warts in both males and females. HPV sub-types 16 and 18 are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a single dose of the HPV vaccine for optimal protection.
India accounts for approximately a quarter of all cervical cancer cases and nearly a third of global cervical cancer deaths, despite being home to about 16% of the world’s women. Indian women face a 1.6% lifetime cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer and a 1% cumulative death risk from the disease. Recent estimates indicate that almost 80,000 women develop cervical cancer, and 35,000 die from it annually in India.
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Citations:
[1] https://www.business-standard.com/health/govt-plans-to-train-frontline-workers-ahead-of-hpv-vaccine-rollout-125040600284_1.html
