New Delhi: An HPV vaccine can prove to be crucial in preventing the cancer of the cervix, a leading cancer among women, a Parliamentary Committee has recommended. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its report presented in Rajya Sabha, stressed that the development of a single-dose HPV vaccine should be completed within schedule.
The success of the trials could provide a major fillip to HPV immunisation in India as there is only multiple dose vaccines available at present which do provide protection, but have practical inconveniences, like keeping track of the dosage schedule, the panel said.
“The Committee is of the view that introduction of a single-dose vaccine would considerably increase successful vaccination percentage as the vaccination schedule can be completed with one shot. This, in turn, will have a commensurate impact on the reduction of the incidence of cervical cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer among women,” the committee stated.
A homegrown vaccine can drastically bring down the cost of vaccination, it said.
The panel also suggested steps to substantially reduce the price of the vaccine for affordability.
The committee also mentioned DIAMOnDS, a scheme aimed at setting up oncopathology labs for basic and advanced diagnostic services to cancer patients.
“The Committee further finds that other than the current focus of breast and lung cancers, the scheme proposes to expand to other biomarkers during the 16th Finance Commission period,” it said.
The committee also expressed its concern about the fact that, as per the data of ICMR – National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), age-adjusted incidence Rates (AAR) for all sites of cancer are higher in the North Eastern Region.
There is only one DIAMOnDS Centre in Imphal for the whole of NER, it said, and called for more oncopathology labs in the region.
The committee recommended investment in research and development, active interdisciplinary collaboration, formulation of standards and guidelines, and the capacity of clinicians and researchers to make successful use of AI in the medical field.
It also expressed concern that in the case of cancer treatment, the outcomes are not in sync with global standards, with the use of genomics and proteomics not widely done in India.
