Kohima: In a significant step towards preventing cervical cancer, Nagaland on Saturday rolled out the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive for all eligible 14-year-old girls.
The vaccine will be administered free of cost at government health centres across the state.
The state-level launch programme was held at Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima, aligning with the nationwide rollout inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ajmer in Rajasthan.
A single-dose “Gardasil 4” vaccine, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, will be used under the campaign. The injection provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11.
Addressing the programme, Anoop Khinchi, Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, said cervical cancer remains a serious public health challenge both in India and worldwide.
He pointed out that nearly 99.7 per cent of cervical cancer cases are linked to persistent infection of the genital tract by high-risk strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
Referring to national statistics, he stated that India reports approximately 1.25 lakh new cases of cervical cancer every year, resulting in about 78,000 deaths annually. He added that cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the country, accounting for 18.3 per cent of all female cancers.
Khinchi further noted that the disease typically affects women in the 35–55 age group, often placing a heavy emotional and social burden on families and affecting the care and upbringing of children.
Highlighting that cervical cancer can be effectively prevented through timely immunisation, Khinchi said the initiative seeks to administer a single dose of the Gardasil 4 vaccine to all eligible 14-year-old girls.
He informed that the vaccination campaign will run for three months, with the HPV vaccine being made available every day at government health centres across the state to ensure wider reach.
The vaccine will be given on a voluntary basis, and consent from parents or guardians will be required prior to administration, he added.
ALSO READ: Nagaland signs MoU with IMD for Doppler Weather Radar installation in Dimapur
The Union Health Ministry, in an official communication sent to all states on February 25, stated, “All 14-year-old girls across the country will be administered a single dose of the ‘Gardasil 4’ vaccine at government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges and hospitals.”
