ISTOCK
Karnataka will administer Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to 37,470 eligible girls in eight taluks of Tumakuru, Bellary, Chitradurga and Vijayanagar districts at a cost of Rs 4.74 crore, the health department said on Wednesday.
It was proposed in the Budget 2025, that Rs 9 crore will be allocated in the first phase of the project to administer HPV vaccine to 14-year-old girls in 20 taluks of the mine-affected and Kalyan Karnataka regions.
A proposal in this regard was approved by Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) in a meeting held on June 5, the department said in a government order.
As per the government order issued on Wednesday, 14-year-old girls from economically backward families in the identified eight taluks, with Priority Household (PHH) Ration cards, will be administered the vaccine in the first phase.
The required vaccines will be procured through Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL) and implemented by the Vaccine Division of the Health and Family Welfare Department in accordance with the provisions of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act 1999, stated the order.
The order also noted that although HPV has more than 200 strains, some of the more dangerous viruses like HPV 16 AND 18 are associated with cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second highest cause of death among women in the country, and vaccination is the only way to tackle the cancer caused by the HPV virus, explained the order.