New Delhi:
Actor Poonam Pandey will not be considered as the brand ambassador of the government's national campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer, Union Health Ministry officials said on Wednesday.
The clarification came after sources said Ms Pandey is likely to be the face of the campaign and that she and her team are in talks with ministry officials.
Earlier this month, news of Ms Pandey's 'death' from the disease dominated headlines and sparked intense debates on social media. It later emerged that the news was fake and a stunt by the actor and her team to spread 'critical awareness' about cervical cancer.
In a video posted on her official Instagram page, Ms. Pandey said on February 3, “I feel compelled to share something important with you all” “I am here, alive.” “Cervical cancer did not claim me, but tragically it has claimed the lives of thousands of women resulting from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease,” the 32-year-old added.
“Unlike some other cancers, cervical cancer is completely preventable. The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection tests. We have the tools to ensure that no one loses their life to this disease.
“Let us empower each other with critical awareness and ensure that every woman is informed about the steps to be taken. Let us strive together to end the devastating impact of the disease and bring #DeathToCervicalCancer,” she wrote.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim budget speech said that the government will encourage vaccination of girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years to prevent cervical cancer.
The Union Health Ministry had last month said that it is closely monitoring the incidence of cervical cancer in the country and is in regular touch with states and various health departments in this regard.
In June 2022, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization recommended introducing the HPV vaccine into universal immunization with “a one-time catch-up for 9-14 year old adolescent girls, followed by a routine introduction at age nine”, the Rajya. Sabha was told in March.
India is home to about 16 percent of the world's women, but accounts for about a quarter of all cervical cancer cases and nearly a third of global cervical cancer deaths.
Indian women face a 1.6 percent cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer and one percent cumulative risk of death from cervical cancer, officials had said.
According to recent estimates, nearly 80,000 women in India develop cervical cancer every year and 35,000 die from its consequences.
Currently, the Serum Institute's Indian-made vaccine against cervical cancer, CERVAVAC, is available in the private market for around Rs 2,000 per dose. MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck Sharp and Dohme (known as Merck and Co, Inc in the US and Canada) continues to sell its HPV vaccine Gardasil 4 (quadrivalent vaccine) in India, which is currently priced at Rs 3,927. per dose.
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