CMRI Kolkata launches free cervical cancer vaccination clinic

CK Birla Hospitals - CMRI Kolkata, in a positive step for cancer prevention, launched a free cervical cancer vaccination clinic for girls and young women aged 9 to 26. The clinic will operate on a weekly basis, every Wednesday and Thursday from 1 pm to 4 pm.

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The clinic has been set up to offer free HPV vaccination, and gynaecologist consultation, to provide more access to HPV vaccination, raise awareness, and encourage early protection from cervical cancer, which is one of the most preventable but also one of the deadliest cancers affecting women.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer found in women in India, after breast cancer. The Globocan 2020 database (WHO-IARC) estimates that India has approximately 123,000 new cases of cervical cancer and over 77,000 deaths from cervical cancer per year. West Bengal, particularly Kolkata city, has a significant contribution to this disease burden, with a steady increase of 15-20% over the past five years from local cancer registry data and hospital-based studies. Most of these cases are reported in late stages as the patients had little awareness, underwent screening late, and low coverage of vaccination.