Knowledge nugget of the day: Cancer Moonshot Initiative

Key Takeaways :

1. To strengthen fight against cervical cancer, India has pledged a grant of $7.5 million for testing, screening, and diagnosis of the disease in the Indo-Pacific region.

2. With the Quad deciding to tackle cervical cancer, PM Modi said that India has developed its own vaccine against the HPV.

3. Called the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the countries launched the programme that will focus on expanding cervical cancer screening; increasing vaccinations against the human papillomavirus, or HPV.

4. HPV is  a common sexually transmitted infection that is the primary cause of cervical cancer; and treating patients.

5. The Initiative builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to ending cancer. 

6. Quad countries will work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening. 

7. It will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.

8. According to the MEA statement, PM Modi announced that India will provide support for radiotherapy treatment and capacity building for cancer prevention in the Indo-Pacific. He also said that Indo-Pacific countries will be benefiting from the supply of 40 million doses of vaccine from India under GAVI and QUAD programs.

9. Gavi is an international organisation created in 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.

10. India will, additionally, offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on DPI for cancer screening, care and continuum through its US $10 million contribution to WHO’s-Global Initiative on Digital Health.

11. Cervical Cancer is the  3rd leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Indo-Pacific region.

12. QUAD consists of: United States, Australia, India, and Japan. 

BEYOND THE NUGGET : India’s efforts to deal with Cervical cancer

Around 75,000 women in India die each year of cervical cancer.

Cervac: The quadrivalent vaccines, including the Serum Institute of India’s Cervavac, prevent the entry of four of the most commons types of HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11 thereby preventing infections, genital warts, and eventually cancer. At least 14 HPV types have been identified to have the potential to cause cancer. Among these, HPV types 16 and 18 are considered to be the most oncogenic, causing about 70 per cent of all cervical cancer cases globally.

National Progamme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases: India is scaling up population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers through this programme. 

Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method: India uses this method for cervical cancer screening. It is simple, cost effective and efficient in detecting early signs of cervical cancer. 

“Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Centres” program: India is expanding access to specialized cancer treatment centers by supporting both states and UTs.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY): For affordable cancer treatment. 

Implementation research is led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

Interim Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will encourage vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which leads to cervical cancer, among girls aged 9-14.

(Sources: What is the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, pib.gov.in)

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