VCK MP Ravikumar urges Sitharaman to include HPV vaccine in India's Vaccination programme

CHENNAI: General Secretary of VCK and Villupuram MP D Ravikumar has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to allocate funds for the inclusion of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the national immunisation programme, and to provide sufficient financial support for its implementation in the forthcoming budget.

"Cervical cancer, primarily caused by HPV, remains a significant public health concern in India. Globally, it accounts for 99.7% of cervical cancer cases. In India, it ranks as the third most common cancer among women. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, cervical cancer has an incidence rate of 18.3% (123,907 cases annually) and a mortality rate of 9.1%, making it the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Indian women," Ravikumar noted in his letter to the minister.

The five-year prevalence rate stands at 42.82 per 100,000 population, highlighting the urgent need for preventive measures, he said, urging the inclusion of the HPV vaccine, which has proven to be the most effective method for preventing cervical cancer.

The state governments of Punjab and Sikkim have already taken proactive steps by introducing the vaccine in their immunisation programmes, Ravikumar pointed out, adding “I am pleased to inform you that the Tamil Nadu government, at my request, has initiated a pilot programme for the HPV vaccine in my constituency.”

He further appealed to the minister to include the HPV vaccine in the national immunisation programme and allocate necessary funds for its implementation in the upcoming budget.