Kathua, February 28: A district-wide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive was launched today at Government Medical College Kathua to protect eligible adolescent girls against cervical cancer caused by HPV.
The campaign is being implemented by the District Health Department Kathua in coordination with the School Education Department and other allied departments.
MLA Kathua Dr. Bharat Bhushan and Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rajesh Sharma inaugurated the drive and flagged off the phased immunization campaign across the district.
Speaking on the occasion, the MLA highlighted the importance of preventive healthcare and awareness in reducing the incidence of life-threatening diseases. He observed that cervical cancer remains a major health concern among women and emphasized that timely vaccination is a safe and effective preventive measure.
The DC reiterated the district administration’s commitment towards strengthening public health initiatives and informed that the vaccination drive will be conducted in a phased manner across 27 designated centres in the district. He directed the concerned officers to ensure strict adherence to cold chain protocols, effective awareness generation and close inter-departmental coordination for achieving cent percent target coverage. He called upon parents, teachers and community leaders to actively support the campaign to ensure maximum coverage.
Chief Medical Officer Kathua informed that the vaccination will target girls in the eligible age group as per Government of India guidelines and assured that adequate arrangements have been put in place for smooth implementation of the programme.
Principal GMC Kathua, Dr Surinder Attri, Chief Medical Officer Kathua, Dr Vijay Raina, Chief Education Officer Kathua Kewal Krishan and other senior officers were present on the occasion.b
