Poonam Pandey’s death drives home importance of immunisation against cervical cancer

In 2020, 1,23,907 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, leading to 77,348 deaths, making it the second most common cancer among Indian women.

Bollywood personality Poonam Pandey has succumbed to cervical cancer, as conveyed by her team on Instagram on February 2. She was 32. This incident highlights the need to tackle cervical cancer, which is reportedly the second most common type of cancer afflicting Indian women.

Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2024 speech on February 1, said that the government will promote immunisation against cervical cancer. “Our government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for prevention of cervical cancer,” she said. This vaccination is specifically formulated to shield against distinct strains of cervical cancer.

According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), persistent infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. HPV, a common sexually transmitted virus, affects at least half of sexually active individuals at some point, though few develop cervical cancer. HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for nearly 90 percent of genital warts and are rarely linked to pre-cancerous or cancerous conditions in the lower genital tract. On the other hand, HPV types 16 and 18, recognised as the predominant "high-risk" genotypes, contribute to around 70 percent of all cervical cancers. However, not all HPV 16 or 18 infections advance to cancer.

India, with a population of 511.4 million women aged 15 and older, faces a significant risk of cervical cancer, as per data from the HPV Information Centre. In 2020, 1,23,907 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, leading to 77,348 deaths.

Also read: FM Sitharaman announces govt initiative to promote cervical cancer vaccination among girls aged 9 to 14

Effective screening tests and the HPV vaccine play crucial roles in preventing cervical cancer. Early detection of cervical cancer significantly improves treatment outcomes, ensuring long-term survival and a good quality of life.

India's first indigenously developed Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine, 'CERVAVAC,' was launched in 2023 through a collaboration between the Serum Institute of India (SII), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The current price for a single dose is approximately Rs 2,000. CERVAVAC can be used for the prevention of anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18; anal precancerous or lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18; and genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11.

The Union Health Ministry, on January 13, said it is yet to finalise the distribution plan for HPV vaccination in India. Various media houses cited sources saying that the government will launch an HPV vaccination campaign in the second quarter of 2024.

The National Technical Advisory Group for Immunization (NTAGI) recommended HPV vaccination for girls aged nine to 14 as part of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in 2022. The advice included the establishment of vaccination centres in schools and the promotion of awareness regarding the vaccination.

A study published in BMC Women’s Health on women in Kenya highlighted the existence of stigma around HPV, with some women associating it with HIV. This intersectional stigma could contribute to increased cervical cancer risk behaviours, including avoidance of screening due to mistrust in healthcare providers. Internalised stigma, coupled with the fear of death, acts as a barrier to accessing medical services, particularly for women with both HIV and HPV.

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