Cervical cancer: HPV vaccine at national level

The Human Papailoma Virus ( HPV) vaccine to reduce the risk of cervical cancer has been introduced to the National Immunisat i o n Programme.

The Ministry of Health has been considering the feasibility and sustainability of the vaccine for the past three years before introducing it.

Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Deepa Gamage said the initiative was promoted because at least 800 to 1000 advanced new cases of cervical cancer patients were reported in Sri Lanka.

“Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer among women after breast cancer and it accunts for 10 percent of all other cancers,” she said.

According to Dr. Gamage, cervical cancer has three stages of prevention, the primary prevention method, early detection and prevention method and tertiary prevention method.

In the case of the tertiary prevention method, patients arrive after contracting the disease. During such an instance the doctors provide treatment and rehabilitation and other options which include surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

“The pap smear test was the only option provided under the secondary prevention stage. This is done to test for cancer cells by extracting a sample from the cervix. Once the the pre-cancer stage is detected and identified the patient is directed for treatment,” she said.

However, it was identified that 70 percent of the cervical cancer is caused due to two high risk genotypes, 16 and 18, as a result of which bivalent HPV vaccine, Quadrivalent HPV vaccines were developed to prevent the two genotypes.

“Bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines were registered in Sri Lanka in 2010 and are available in the private sector," she said.

Gavi is an international organisation which improves access to new and underused vaccines for children living in countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is below or equal to 1,500 dollars. In 2015, Sri Lanka was among the five countries which reached the end of the Gavi support and the country now has to self-finance the vaccine.

At present, Sri Lanka has chosen girls in the age group of 10 to administer two doses within six months. “However the pap smear test will also be available for women islandwide through the well women clinic programme," she said. The first phase of the launching of the HPV vaccine was done in the Kegalle District on Monday.

Regional Healt h Director Dr. Vijith Gunasekera said the first dose of vaccine would be completed in the district within three weeks.

He said there have not been any complications reported following the first dose of vaccine and no concerns were raised by parents.

“We conducted an extensive awareness programme to the parents, teachers and school children. It was an interactive session where parents received an insight of the vaccine and cervical cancer,” he said.