AIIMS Delhi on Friday launched a multi-center study with the support of DBT-BIRAC Grand Challenges India in collaboration with WHO's International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) to develop and validate low-cost, point-of-care indigenous HPV tests for detection of cervical cancer. The National Institute of Cancer Prevention Research in Noida, the National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health in Mumbai, and AIIMS in Delhi will all host validation studies for three indigenous human papillomavirus (HPV) tests. Former head of the obstetrics and gynecology department at AIIMS, Delhi, and program coordinator Dr Neerja Bhatla stated on Friday.
HPV tests are currently costly and require complex laboratory setups. According to her, in order to obtain WHO prequalification and the required quality assurance, they must fulfill international standards.
Cervical cancer ranks fourth among female cancers worldwide. After breast cancer, it is the second most common cancer among women in India. Globally, a woman dies from cervical cancer every two minutes, according to Bhatla.
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Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) data indicates that 3,48,874 women worldwide lost their lives to cervical cancer in 2022, with an estimated 6,63,301 women receiving a diagnosis of the disease.
India and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for nearly 80 per cent of the global disease burden.
According to Bhatla, there are 79,906 deaths and about 1,27,526 new cases in India each year. "Considering this, the WHO launched 'Call For Elimination of Cervical Cancer' with a vision of a cervical cancer-free world in which India is also one of the signatories. By 2030, we should meet the targets of screening 70 per cent of women and vaccinating 90 per cent of girls," she said.
Cervical cancer is preventable and can be treated if detected in precancerous or early stages, she added.