my uttarakhand news Bureau
DEHRADUN, 28 Feb: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually launched the National HPV Vaccination programme for the prevention of cervical cancer from Ajmer. This vaccination campaign reflects the Government of India’s commitment to women’s health, adolescent welfare, and strengthening healthcare services.
On this occasion, the Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), formally inaugurated the vaccination drive at Gandhi Shatabdi Hospital, marking the official launch of the statewide campaign.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and stated that this campaign is a sensitive and visionary initiative aimed at safeguarding the health of the nation’s daughters. He emphasized that daughters are the future of the nation, and a healthy woman forms the backbone of a strong family and society. He added that HPV vaccination is not merely a programme, but a firm commitment to women’s health security, playing a crucial role in preventing serious diseases like cervical cancer.
He further stated that the large-scale vaccination mission initiated by the Government of India is a significant step toward women’s empowerment. Expressing confidence, he said that this initiative will bring positive transformation in the field of women’s health in the coming years. The Governor called upon Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, and Community Health Centres to ensure active participation in the campaign.
In the first phase of the programme, 155 HPV vaccination centres have been identified across the state, all located in government health institutions. Eligible adolescent girls aged 14 years will receive the HPV vaccine at these centres, based on scientific evidence, to ensure maximum protection prior to infection.
Under this programme, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil) is being administered, which provides protection against four high-risk types of the HPV virus. The same vaccine costs approximately ₹4,000 per dose in the private sector; however, it is being provided completely free of cost at government health institutions. Training of doctors, nurses, and frontline health workers has been completed to ensure successful implementation of the programme, and adequate vaccine supplies have been secured.
The event was attended by Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Member of Parliament Naresh Bansal, MLA Khajan Das, Health Secretary Sachin Kurve, Mission Director Manuj Goyal, senior officials of the Health Department, district administration representatives, medical colleges, and partner institutions.
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