WHO recommends use of this test for screening; India contributes a fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer
A pathology laboratory chain in collaboration with Roche Diagnostics India has introduced the self-sampling human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test for cervical cancer screening. The aim is to make screening more accessible for women across the country but particularly in Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 towns.
While the government of India uses visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for screening under the national programme, HPV DNA which is an polymerase chain reaction based test, is recommended by the World Health Organisation for screening. India has one of the highest burdens in the world of cervical cancer with the disease estimated to kill 77,000 women annually, many of them because they were diagnosed too late.
“Considering that as per a 2020 NHFS survey, only about 1.9% women in India are currently being screened, it is clear that more needs to be done to make cervical cancer screening accessible across India. Our cobas HPV DNA test provides women with a solution that allows them to overcome the potential embarrassment and discomfort that some may feel about undergoing cervical cancer screening process. I am confident that Metropolis Healthcare’s vast and established laboratory footprint will allow India to adopt cervical cancer screening at a large scale, especially in underserved areas.” said Mr. Rishubh Gupta, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighbouring Markets.
WHO South-East Asia Region had 2.4 million new cases of cancer in 2022, including 56,000 children, and 1.5 million deaths
Cervical cancer is preventable and yet, India contributes to 21% of the world’s total cases of cervical cancer. The HPV DNA test detects 14 high-risk HPV types in a single tube and is a clinically validated, FDA-approved, and WHO-prequalified solution.
Meanwhile, on the eve of World Cancer Day on February 4 Saima Wazed Regional Director for WHO Southeast Asia called for a people-centred approach, placing individuals and communities at the heart of health systems to effectively counter the scourge of cancer. WHO’s South-East Asia Region comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. WHO South-East Asia Region had 2.4 million new cases of cancer in 2022, including 56,000 children, and 1.5 million deaths. Among all the WHO regions, our Region had the highest number of cancers of lips and oral cavity, uterine cervix, and childhood cancers. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be 85% increase in the number of new cases and deaths in the Region. Cervical cancer screening has less than fifty percent coverage in seven of these countries, which is much below the target of seventy percent required for elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.
