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Cervical cancer is ranked as the second most frequent cancer in women in India. Approximately, 132,000 new cases are diagnosed and approx 70,000 die annually. India accounts for nearly 1/3rd of the global cervical cancer deaths. The most common cause of cervical cancer is the HPV-human papilloma virus. It is estimated that, about 6.6% of women in the general population harbor cervical HPV infection.
Vaccines are available for the prevention of cervical cancer and its administration at a young age for girls is highly recommended. In the present project, it is proposed that adolescent girls from tribal villages of Ambegaon, Junnar & Rajgurunagar blocks of Pune district, Maharashtra, be the target beneficiaries for cervical cancer vaccination.
As planned, the first phase of vaccination of 1600 girls from 15 schools of three blocks of tribal areas were conducted starting from 26th of June and was completed by 2nd August 2019.
After reviewing the actual expenses incurred, we felt that we could do additional 150 girls from the same grant amount with our club contributing for the administrative expenses. Accordingly we sent our request for approval of vaccinating additional 150 girls without any change in the grant amount on 10th September 2019. After a few clarifications our request was approved on 4th October 2019. Since this approval came just before the school vacations , we plan to complete the vaccination of additional 150 girls by end of November , thereby completing the first phase of our revised figure of 1750 Girls.
The second phase of vaccination for 1600 girls will be conducted around Feb2020 and the second phase for additional 150 girls will be done by June 2020 . This will complete our project of vaccinating 1750 girls under this Global Grant.
Status as on Jan 2021 is that first phase of the project concerning 1598 girls have been fully completed as per schedule. the first dose for 150 additional girls have also been completed. Unfortunately for COVID pandemic , we could not proceed much with the second phase of vaccination for remaining 150 girls as scheduled. As schools are still closed, we could locate most of them with the help of school administration and could complete the course. As we know, only few of the girls are still remaining to be vaccinated for the second dose and we are having a meeting this week with our principle implementing agency KEMHRC and take stock of the situation. will update the status once it is firmed up. The latest status is that till last week of January 2021, our partner KEMHRC could administer the second dose to 146 Girls out of 150 Girls pending as it was getting very difficult to trace the girls as the schools are closed for last one year. we waited till some more time and then took a joint decision with KEMHRC to close the project with four short of the final target completed. We have thereafter submitted our final report to TRF and also have returned the balance amount remaining in the account to Rotary India Foundation with all details. Hence as on date the final project report with all details and undertaking etc has already been submitted to TRF and only awaiting their final acceptance of the same.
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