ID :
10687
Tue, 06/24/2008 - 10:37
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http://m.oananews.org//node/10687
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One in eight cervical cancer deaths in India
Sreeparna Chakrabarty
Kuala Lumpur, Jun 24 (PTI) - Despite India accounting for a
staggering one in eight cervical cancer deaths in the world,
there is little or no awareness about the disease and the fact
that a simple vaccine can stop women from falling prey to it.
The reason for this, according to experts, is the stigma
attached to the disease which is seen as being sexually
transmitted.
The Human Papillomavirus (H.P.V.) which causes 70 percent
of the cervical cancer cases, is transmitted through sexual
contact, specially in cases where there is poor personal
hygiene.
"Though it is one of the biggest killers among women,
there is hardly any discussion about the disease as it is
perceived to be a Sexually Transmitted Disease (S.T.D.)," Dr.
A.B.D. Aziz Yahya P.J.N. of one of the city's top private
hospitals said on the sidelines of an international conference
here.
According to World Health Organisation figures, 365.71
million women in India are at risk of cervical cancer and
74,118 deaths are reported in the country per year due to the
disease.
A simple way to contain the disease is vaccinating
against the H.P.V., doctors said.
"H.P.V. types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70
percent of all cervical cancer cases in the world," said Dr.
Gerry Wain of Australia.
India, for example, has a population of 365.71 million of
women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing
cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year
1,32,082 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 74,118
die from the disease.
About 6.6 percent of women is estimated to harbour
cervical H.P.V. infection at a given time, and 76.7 percent
invasive cervical cancers in India are attributed to H.P.V. 16
or 18, W.H.O. reports said.
Though the vaccine is in the trial stages in India, it is
ultimately the high cost of the vaccine at around Rs.
5,000-6,000 which is holding back its usage, Wain said.
The vaccine is given in three shots over a period of six
months and thus the total cost involved would be around Rs.
15,000, excluding costs for medical check-up and consultation.
Though the vaccine has been made a part of the National
Immunisation Progamme in countries like Australia, in India it
seems a remote possibility given the high costs involved, said
Dr. Suresh Kuamaraswami, a practising physician in Malaysia.
According to Aziz, however, apart from the vaccine, it is
important to promote a healthy and hygienic lifestyle to
contain the disease.
Efforts should also be made to address the taboo
associated with the disease as it is perceived to be a
sexually transmitted one, the doctors said.
"Though it afflicts more women than breast cancer does,
it is not talked about much due to the stigma associated with
it," Kumaraswamy said.
Thus efforts should be made to make people aware of the
disease instead of labelling it as an S.T.D., he added. PTI
Kuala Lumpur, Jun 24 (PTI) - Despite India accounting for a
staggering one in eight cervical cancer deaths in the world,
there is little or no awareness about the disease and the fact
that a simple vaccine can stop women from falling prey to it.
The reason for this, according to experts, is the stigma
attached to the disease which is seen as being sexually
transmitted.
The Human Papillomavirus (H.P.V.) which causes 70 percent
of the cervical cancer cases, is transmitted through sexual
contact, specially in cases where there is poor personal
hygiene.
"Though it is one of the biggest killers among women,
there is hardly any discussion about the disease as it is
perceived to be a Sexually Transmitted Disease (S.T.D.)," Dr.
A.B.D. Aziz Yahya P.J.N. of one of the city's top private
hospitals said on the sidelines of an international conference
here.
According to World Health Organisation figures, 365.71
million women in India are at risk of cervical cancer and
74,118 deaths are reported in the country per year due to the
disease.
A simple way to contain the disease is vaccinating
against the H.P.V., doctors said.
"H.P.V. types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70
percent of all cervical cancer cases in the world," said Dr.
Gerry Wain of Australia.
India, for example, has a population of 365.71 million of
women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing
cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year
1,32,082 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 74,118
die from the disease.
About 6.6 percent of women is estimated to harbour
cervical H.P.V. infection at a given time, and 76.7 percent
invasive cervical cancers in India are attributed to H.P.V. 16
or 18, W.H.O. reports said.
Though the vaccine is in the trial stages in India, it is
ultimately the high cost of the vaccine at around Rs.
5,000-6,000 which is holding back its usage, Wain said.
The vaccine is given in three shots over a period of six
months and thus the total cost involved would be around Rs.
15,000, excluding costs for medical check-up and consultation.
Though the vaccine has been made a part of the National
Immunisation Progamme in countries like Australia, in India it
seems a remote possibility given the high costs involved, said
Dr. Suresh Kuamaraswami, a practising physician in Malaysia.
According to Aziz, however, apart from the vaccine, it is
important to promote a healthy and hygienic lifestyle to
contain the disease.
Efforts should also be made to address the taboo
associated with the disease as it is perceived to be a
sexually transmitted one, the doctors said.
"Though it afflicts more women than breast cancer does,
it is not talked about much due to the stigma associated with
it," Kumaraswamy said.
Thus efforts should be made to make people aware of the
disease instead of labelling it as an S.T.D., he added. PTI
