iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Cervical cancer is one of the preventable cancers among women. It is one of the most common types of cancer affecting women in India.
Women in India have a higher risk of getting cervical cancer as compared to the worldwide average. It is estimated that cervical cancer will occur in approximately 1 in 53 Indian women during their lifetime compared with 1 in 100 women in more developed regions of the world.
The HPV vaccine is one of the recommended interventions for cervical cancer control worldwide. It has been included in the national immunization program in more than 60 countries.
Late last year, the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) had initiated a campaign to create awareness about cervical cancer in India. In following up with that campaign the organization has begun creating vaccine camps starting with Hyderabad.
“We at AAPI, in keeping with our efforts and initiatives to educate, create awareness and provide support on disease prevention, I am pleased to announce that API organized a Cervical Cancer Vaccine Camp On January 9th at Tanvir Hospital in Hyderabad as part of the ongoing APPI’s 15th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2022 being held at the Hotel Avasa in Hyderabad, India,” Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) said here today.
“I am grateful to Dr. Meeta Singh and Dr. Naunihal Singh, who led the Vaccination camp in Hyderabad,” she added.
The Global Healthcare Summit 2002 was inaugurated on Jan 5th, in Hyderabad by the Honorable Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu. In his address, delivered virtually he said, “With numerous initiatives, AAPI has come a long way since its inception and has proved to be beneficial not only to Indian-origin American Physicians, but to Indian healthcare as well.”
The Vice President complimented AAPI for its services in India – for raising $5 million during the second wave of the pandemic, for its ‘Adopt a Village’ program among its other initiatives.
Usually, cervical cancer develops slowly over time, and another powerful preventive measure is Pap test screening, a procedure during which cells are collected from the surface of the cervix and examined.
The Pap test can both detect cancer at an early stage when treatment outcomes tend to be better and detect precancerous abnormalities, which can then be treated to prevent them from developing into cancers.
The primary target group for the HPV vaccine in girls aged 9-13 years as per the WHO recommendations. Other target groups are older adolescent females or young women.
It is quite evident that HPV vaccination is essential for cervical cancer prevention. This makes the cervical cancer vaccine cost a secondary factor when going for this vaccination. Persistent infection with one of the 15 high-risk HPV types is considered a basic cause of cervical cancer.
“January is #CervicalCancer Awareness Month! In coordination with the local organizers of the GHS, AAPI donated the funds for the HPV Vaccination, a total of 200 doses of the vaccine for 100 children from the state of Telangana on January 9th,” said Dr. Meher Medavaram, an organizer of the program.
“GHS 2022, which has initiated several new programs benefitting India, has become an effective forum to educate and create awareness about these deadly diseases that are preventable,” Dr. Udhaya Shivangi, Chair of AAPI GHS 2022 said.
Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI, said, “Our theme for GHS 2022 is: ‘Prevention Better than Cure.’ Cervical Cancer is preventable through Vaccination and Early Pap smears and cervical examinations. Justifiably so, one of our preventive campaign goals this year is to provide education and prevention of Cervical Cancer in India.”
Once a leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. Today, screening and prevention have greatly reduced the impact of this form of cancer. Increasing screening and prevention are key components of the effort to eradicate cervical cancer.
Since almost all cases of the disease are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, vaccines that protect against the virus could prevent the vast majority of cases. Moreover, regular Pap tests can catch – and lead to treatment of – the disease at the precancerous stage.
Expressing confidence, Dr. Gotimukula, the 4th ever Woman President in the four decades-long history of AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States, said, “Together we can all bring the awareness in the community to prevent Cervical Cancer in India which is 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in women!” For more information, please visit www.aapiusa.org/ https://summit.aapiusa.org
