Bihar announces HPV vaccination programme for 9-14 year old girls, to spend about Rs 150 crore

Earlier this year, the government of India had announced in the Union Budget its policy of encouraging states to start HPV vaccination

The government of Bihar has announced that it will vaccinate all girls in the 9-14 year age group against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer which is the second commonest form of the disease in India.

The Mukhya Mantri Balika Cancer Pratirashan Yojana (Chief Minister Scheme for Protection of Girls Against Cancer) will benefit about 95 lakh, announced Dr S Siddharth who is principal secretary to chief minister Nitish Kumar. Earlier this year, the government of India had announced in the Union Budget its policy of encouraging states to start HPV vaccination.

Bihar government will procure the vaccines through the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai. They have already signed the memorandum of understanding, Siddharth said. The estimated cost of the programme is Rs 150 crore. Several other states in the country have already rolled out a HPV vaccination programme among young girls. These include Punjab, Delhi and Sikkim. 

India has a high burden of cervical cancer and a policy level commitment since 2010 to screen women for the disease has not been implemented because of several factors, one of which is women’s reluctance to get tested. Data suggests that in 2022 India had reported 1,27,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 80,000 deaths. 

In 2022, the Serum Institute of India had unveiled Ceravac the first indigenously manufactured cervical cancer vaccine that was expected to bring down the cost of vaccination significantly. Health minister J P Nadda recently said that the government is considering the introduction of the HPV vaccine into the Universal Immunisation Programme but some logistical challenges remain.