Model and actress Poonam Pandey died of cervical cancer. This is not an ordinary death… Poonam Pandey was only 32 years old. In such a situation, it is natural to raise the question whether there is still a lack of awareness in the society regarding cervical cancer. Let us tell you today in this article how cervical cancer has become a curse for women and how expensive its treatment is in India. Apart from this, we will also tell you that if a woman in Pakistan wants to get vaccinated for cervical cancer, then how much money will she have to spend for it.
This cancer is a curse for women
According to WHO report, more than 95 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by human papilloma virus or HPV. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women in the world and according to estimates, 6,04,000 new cases of this cancer were reported in the year 2020. Whereas, 3,42,000 women died due to this cancer.
How much does the vaccine cost in India?
The Government of India took a big decision on cervical cancer vaccine in the interim budget 2024. While presenting the country’s interim budget in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that girls aged 9 to 14 years will be given cervical cancer vaccine for free. Whereas, Serum Institute of India says that it will make a vaccine named Cervavac to prevent cervical cancer. This vaccine will provide protection against four strains of HPV – 16, 18, 6 and 11. Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawala had already said in a statement that the price of the vaccine will be only Rs 200-400 per dose. Whereas, if we talk about the present time, the price of cervical cancer vaccines which are currently available in the market is Rs 2,500-3,300 per dose.
Cervical cancer vaccine in Pakistan
According to the National Library of Medicine report, 68.6 million women in Pakistan are at risk of cervical cancer. while, alone year 2023 3000 women in Pakistan lost their lives due to this cancer. Cervical cancer vaccine is also available in Pakistan. Here the price of one dose of GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix vaccine is 5000 Pakistani rupees.
How expensive is its treatment in India?
Speaking to BBC, Dr Swati, gynecologist and oncologist at Max Super Specialty, says that women suffering from cervical cancer in India mostly come in advanced stages. Dr. Swati says that in India, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Breast cancer is at number one. If we talk about the cost of treatment of this disease, its treatment is done at different costs in different hospitals. If a cervical cancer patient is treated in a big private hospital, the treatment will cost lakhs of rupees. At the same time, many trust hospitals and government hospitals also treat this cancer at a very low cost.
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