Cervical cancer awareness and prevention initiative with quadrivalent HPV vaccination

GURUGRAM: Pure Hearts, a child-led non-profit organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged youth, is partnering with Karkinos Healthcare and the Cancer Awareness Prevention and Early Detection (CAPED) organization to launch a crucial initiative. This collaborative effort aims to provide free HPV vaccinations to underprivileged adolescent girls aged 9-14 in the Delhi NCR region.

The inaugural drive, centered on cervical cancer prevention, will administer the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil-4) free of charge to 100 adolescent girls aged 13-14. The event is scheduled for Friday, August 2, 2024, from 10 am to 1 pm at the Government Senior Secondary School in Caterpuri, Gurugram, Haryana.

As cancer rates rise in India, the need for preventive care and early detection has become more critical. Since 2020, Pure Hearts has conducted free medical camps and Pap smear screenings for marginalized communities in NCR Delhi, revealing numerous cases of HPV-positive individuals and cervical cancer. Many of these cases stem from neglected medical check-ups due to time or financial constraints. This initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health issue.

Shalu Johar Sahni of Pure Hearts highlighted the importance of community involvement in nurturing children, expressing deep gratitude for the support and guidance from distinguished figures such as Dr GK Rath (Former Professor & Head Deptt of Radiation Oncology AIIMS, New Delhi and Former Director National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar), Dr R Sankaranarayanan (former Chief of Cancer Screening Group and Special Advisor on Cancer Control at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO), and Ms Mridu Gupta (CEO CAPED India), along with Dr Jitendra Meena and Dr Raju (Department of Preventive Oncology, NCI-AIIMS Jhajjar). The initiative is also supported by CSR funding from Avant Garde, Avad India, and other contributors.

The vaccination camp at Government Senior Secondary School, Caterpuri, will include awareness sessions, pre- and post-counseling, consent procedures, vaccine administration, essential medicine distribution, and the issuance of vaccination cards. The entire process will be managed by a trained and technical team dedicated to protecting these girls and many more from HPV infection and cervical cancer.
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