Cervical cancer battle continues: Expert says rural India sees higher prevalence, underscores need for early vaccination

India reported over 14 lakh new cancer cases and more than 9 lakh deaths due to the deadly disease in 2022, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Among other cancers occurring in the country, breast and cervix cancers have emerged as the most common cancers in women. These cancers nearly constitute 27 per cent and 18 per cent of the fresh cases, as reported.

In India cervical cancer continues to be the second most common cancer, with 1.25 lakh cases and 75,000 deaths reported every year. On the global scale, cervical cancer is the eighth most common cancer while it ranks ninth position in cancer-related deaths across the world.

A recent report released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), unveiled the highlights of the prevalence and patterns of cancer in India. In the report, the IARC expressed its hope to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern through initiatives such as HPV vaccination and regular screenings taken by WHO.

Witnessing the burden of cervical cancer in India, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the interim budget too highlighted the importance of cervical cancer vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years. Let’s understand why this is an utmost health concern in the country currently.