New Delhi (The Hawk): On Thursday, the second Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action was observed by the World Health Organization and its member states in the South-East Asia Region as well as around the globe.
According to Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020, with 32% and 34% of those deaths occurring in the South East Region.
The WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia stated at the time that "human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of girls, screening and treatment of pre-cancer lesions, and improved access to diagnosis and treatment of invasive cancers are critical, cost-effective measures that policymakers should urgently apply to eradicate cervical cancer as a public health problem."
In line with the region's Flagship Priority on preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases as well as the 2021 Regional Implementation Framework on eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem, Dr. Singh stated that the region's nations continue to make steady and sustained progress against cervical cancer.
"The HPV vaccine has been made available throughout the country in five Member States: Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Bangladesh, India, and Timor-Leste will soon follow suit. The introduction of the HPV vaccine in several Indonesian provinces has protected tens of millions of girls "said Dr. Singh.
The gaps and obstacles still exist, and if they are not addressed, the Region will not be able to meet the global 90-70-90 targets by 2030, which call for ensuring that 90% of girls receive the HPV vaccine, 70% of women are screened using a high-performance test by the ages of 35 and 45, 90% of women with cervical disease or pre-cancer are treated, and 90% of women with invasive cancer are treated.
According to Dr. Singh, the WHO has requested action in a number of crucial areas in order to reach the elimination target of four cases per 100,000 women or less.
(Inputs from Agencies)