A special HPV vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer has been started since October 24.

This campaign will be conducted in all divisions of Bangladesh except for Dhaka. Approximately 6.2 million adolescent girls will receive the vaccine. The vaccines will be offered free of charge to girls who are studying in grades V to IX and are between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.

Under the Department of Health, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of the Directorate General of Health Services, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) are conducting and coordinating this program.

On October 22, a conference was held at the Hotel Intercontinental, with a detailed discussion on cervical cancer.

The event was attended by Mohammad Nijam Uddin, Line Director of the Maternal, Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent Health Department; Sheikh Saidul Haque, Additional Director General (Planning and Development) of the Directorate General of Health Services; Md. Zahid Hossain, Additional Secretary of the Registrar General’s Office, Birth and Death Registration, and Local Government Division; Md. Saifullahil Azam, Director General of the Directorate of Family Planning; Dr. Rajesh Narwal, WHO Deputy Representative; and Emma Brigham, Acting Representative of UNICEF in Bangladesh, among others.

To receive the vaccine, individuals must first register through the VaxEPI app or the website https://vaxepi.gov.bd/registration. The vaccine will be administered at designated educational institutions and vaccination centers.

In 2023, nearly 1.5 million adolescent girls in the Dhaka Division were administered the HPV vaccine, and it is noted that no side effects were observed.

Nowadays, cervical cancer has become a more alarming cancer among women. It is the fourth most common cancer among women globally and the second most common cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age in Bangladesh. Cervical cancer is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. 

The lack of screening, early marriages, early initiation of sexual activities, sexually transmitted diseases, and low socio-economic conditions are responsible for the prevalence of cervical cancer in Bangladesh. 

Screening tests at an early age can prevent cervical cancer up to 93%. This is not a cancer test, but a screening test can detect any abnormal cell growth inside the cervix.