By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Cervical cancer is a serious disease, and its incidence is rapidly increasing in India. In response, Bihar has launched a free HPV vaccination campaign to fight cervical cancer, initially targeting five districts: Patna, Nalanda, Siwan, Purnia, and Muzaffarpur.
The campaign commenced at IGIMS campus in Patna, where 100 girls received the vaccine, making Bihar the first state in India to launch a free vaccination programme against cervical cancer. Under the Chief Minister’s Girl Child Cancer Immunisation Scheme, girls aged 9 to 14 will receive the free HPV vaccine to prevent uterine cancer.
Health Minister Mangal Pandey expressed that this was the most significant day of his tenure in the health department, which spans six years, as it marks the launch of a campaign to protect girls from cervical cancer. The disease, which mainly affects women aged 26 to 38, accounts for 17% of cancer-related deaths in India. Notably, one in every five cervical cancer patients worldwide is Indian, and one in five of these cases in India is from Bihar.
Pandey highlighted that although many economically stronger states have not yet initiated such a campaign, Bihar has taken the lead. When he proposed the idea of free cervical cancer vaccination to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he immediately approved it, recognising the financial burden the expensive HPV vaccine imposes on the state’s poor population. Therefore, the government decided to provide free vaccination to protect against cervical cancer.
The campaign has started in five districts, and the vaccine will be available in all district hospitals. Within a month, free HPV vaccinations will be extended to all districts under the Chief Minister’s Girl Child Cancer Immunisation Scheme. The vaccination has been incorporated into the state’s regular immunisation programme for girls aged 9 to 14. The scheme provides two doses of the vaccine, with the second dose administered six months after the first. Currently, the state runs a regular immunisation campaign against 12 deadly diseases.
Pandey estimated that the vaccination campaign would cost ₹150 crore in the next year. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has allocated funds from the cabinet to the Health Department to ensure one crore girls receive the vaccine within the next year, reducing their risk of developing cervical cancer later in life and enabling them to grow up as healthy women. He emphasised that this historic initiative would serve as a model for other states to follow.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha praised the health sector’s progress in Bihar, stating that it has transformed the state’s image from a ‘Bimaru Pradesh’ to a healthy state. Bihar’s health improvements are not just physical but also mental. Through collaborations with the Central and Bihar Governments, the state has linked people to health insurance schemes, ensuring that no one lacks medical care due to financial constraints.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, also the state’s Finance Minister, added that no other state in India has set a target of vaccinating one crore girls in a year or aimed to prevent cervical cancer at such a scale. He assured that Bihar will achieve this goal and that no health campaign in the state will be hindered due to funding shortages. The state government remains committed to developing better facilities for the treatment of serious diseases and ensuring the health of its citizens.
