Cervical cancer vaccination drive launched

Dharwad: A mega cervical cancer vaccination campaign undertaken by the Rotary Club of Dharwad Central was inaugurated by legislative council chairman Basavaraj Horatti at Ramapur in Dharwad on Sunday.Addressing the gathering, Horatti lauded the Rotary Club for its sustained contributions in the fields of health, maternal and child welfare, disease prevention and treatment, education, hygiene, water, and sanitation. He emphasised that preventive healthcare initiatives such as cervical cancer vaccination play a transformative role in safeguarding communities.Highlighting the urgency of addressing cervical cancer, Horatti pointed out that studies indicate one death due to cervical cancer occurs every eight minutes. Ensuring timely vaccination for young girls, he said, is a critical step toward securing their future and protecting families from preventable tragedy.He commended Rotary for launching the project nearly six months ago, well before recent govt directives mandating vaccination for 14-year-old girls under central guidelines. While the govt has now initiated a structured vaccination drive, the Rotary Club of Dharwad Central had already embarked on an ambitious mission to vaccinate 2,500 girls from rural areas across 58 villages in Dharwad district.Providing an update on progress, organisers stated that 1,600 vaccinations have been successfully administered so far without a single reported complication, highlighting the meticulous planning and safe implementation of the campaign.A special vaccination camp was also conducted at Ramapur as part of the inaugural programme, during which 110 girls received the vaccine.