AAPI launches vaccination drive in MKCG to combat cervical cancer

Berhampur: At a time when cervical cancer claims nearly 77,000 women’s lives every year in India, a powerful global medical initiative took root in Berhampur on Thursday. The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) India Foundation launched its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive from MKCG Medical College and Hospital, marking a decisive step in the fight against one of the most preventable yet deadly cancers affecting women.

On the inaugural day, 48 underprivileged girls, including 30 from an orphanage, were administered HPV vaccines, symbolising the beginning of a mission that blends science with social responsibility. The programme is envisioned as a three-year continuous drive, with plans to expand beyond Odisha to Telangana, Gujarat and Varanasi, and eventually across the country.

Leading the initiative, Dr Amit Chakrabarty, President of AAPI and an alumnus of MKCG Medical College, said the vaccination drive aims to reverse India’s alarming cervical cancer statistics. “We are committed to running this programme continuously for three years. Our goal is to take it to every corner of India,” he said, underscoring AAPI’s resolve to make prevention accessible to the most vulnerable.

Dr Chakrabarty, who led a 93-member AAPI delegation to India for the annual Global Health Summit, highlighted the transformative impact of the vaccination. “In the last four years, there has not been a single case of cervical cancer in the US, thanks to effective vaccination. In India, vaccines are locally produced, affordable and equally effective. What we need most is awareness,” he said.

AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organisation in the United States with nearly one lakh physicians of Indian origin, and the second-largest medical association in the US after the American Medical Association, was warmly welcomed by MKCG Medical College. A detailed discussion on cervical cancer and its prevention was held at a packed lecture theatre.

Renowned gynaecologist Dr Bharati Mishra explained that HPV is an extremely common viral infection with over 200 identified types, some of which are linked to high-risk cancers such as cervical and anal cancer. She emphasised that vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure. Speakers unanimously stressed that cervical cancer, though widespread, is largely preventable through awareness, regular screening and timely vaccination.

Addressing medical students, healthcare professionals and women participants, experts highlighted the critical importance of early detection, routine screening, HPV vaccination and healthy lifestyle choices in drastically reducing mortality.

The programme marked the dawn of a sustained awareness and prevention campaign by the AAPI India Foundation in the region, reinforcing its unwavering commitment to public health and women’s well-being. Faculty members and students of MKCG Medical College hailed the initiative as timely, visionary and socially transformative, offering renewed hope in the battle against cervical cancer.