Itanagar: The Papum Pare and East Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh have recorded the highest age-adjusted rate (AAR) of cervical cancer in the state, according to information provided in the assembly on Wednesday.
Responding to a query from BJP member Tsering Lhamu during the question hour, Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang disclosed that a report from the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research-IMCR Bengaluru indicated Papum Pare’s AAR to be at 22.7 per lakh population, while Pasighat in East Siang district registered an AAR of 20.3.
Cervical cancer, which occurs in a woman’s cervix and is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), is a vaccine-preventable disease.
Libang emphasized that administering two vaccine doses to girls aged 9 to 14 years could provide protection against cervical cancer.
However, he revealed that vaccination proposals were submitted by the department in 2020-21 and again in 2021-22 but were not considered by the Foundation for Primary Immuno-deficiency Diseases (FPID) due to austerity measures in 2020-21 and financial constraints in 2021-22.
The minister assured that vaccination against cervical cancer would proceed in the state once funding provisions were made available by the FPID. (With inputs from PTI)
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