Aiming to save “hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades,” the Quad nations have announced a coordinated fight against cervical cancer, which mostly affects women. Dubbed the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, it will promote the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, increase access to screenings, and expand treatment options.
In addition, Quad countries will work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.
“Cervical cancer, while preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early, remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region. Fewer than one in 10 women in the Indo-Pacific have completed their HPV vaccination series, and fewer than 10 per cent have undergone recent screening,” the joint statement said.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. An estimated 123,907 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and 77,348 die from the disease. The five-year relative survival rate for cervical cancer in India is 46 per cent. Survival is much lower for advanced-stage disease (7.4 per cent) compared to localised cancer (73.2 per cent).
Quad countries will continue their strong commitments to Gavi, the global public-private health partnership, with the United States making an early pledge of at least $1.58 billion over five years. The World Bank is significantly increasing its commitment to cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Indo-Pacific region through a comprehensive health systems approach, including $400 million in HPV-related investments globally over the next three years.
As India’s contribution to the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the prime minister announced a grant of $7.5 million to cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region. India will provide support for radiotherapy treatment and capacity building for cancer prevention in the Indo-Pacific. Modi said India was also undertaking a mass cervical cancer screening programme in the country, having developed a cervical cancer vaccine, and is working on an artificial intelligence (AI)-based treatment protocol.
He also mentioned that Indo-Pacific countries will benefit from the supply of 40 million doses of vaccine from India under Gavi and Quad programmes. India will also offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region on digital public infrastructure for cancer screening, care, and continuum through its $10 million contribution to the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative on Digital Health.
First Published: Sep 22 2024 | 7:41 PM IS