Fight Against Cervical Cancer: AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Conducts Free Screening Of BPL Women

Bhubaneswar: Joining the global movement against cervical cancer on the call of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate the disease by 2030, the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has been carrying out free screening of women under BPL category.

As part of its endeavour this year, the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) department of the AIIMS organised several awareness programmes on screening and early detection of cervical cancer.

Under the leadership of AIIMS director Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane, the medical institute has been doing free screening for women from Monday to Saturday under BPL category. Other patients are also getting this service at a nominal cost.

It has appealed to women to vaccinate their daughters with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for primary prevention and undergo periodic cervical cancer screening for secondary prevention. It pointed out that screening can detect precancerous lesions, which if left untreated, can develop into cervical cancer.

The Department of O&G took the pledge to contribute to cancer cervix  elimination by the 90-70-90 strategy advocated by WHO. The strategy aims at vaccinating 90% of girls with HPV vaccine by 15 years of age, screening of 70% of women of 35-45 years of age and treatment of 90% of the women for precancerous lesions or invasive cancers.

In order to create awareness for eliminating the cancer, the Community Medicine and Family Medicine (CMFM) department of the AIIMS in collaboration with Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) organised a webinar on “Cancer situation and preventive oncology in India”.

Besides Dr Gitanjali, IAPSM India president Dr Suneela Garg and NICPR New Delhi Director Dr Shalini Singh, HOD of CMFM of Bhubaneswar AIIM Dr Sonu H Subba addressed the webinar.

The AIIMS stated that cervical cancer can be eliminated through proper vaccination and detection. On 17th November, 2020, the WHO had given the call for elimination of cervical cancer by 2030.