Karnataka Health Department to vaccinate nearly 11,400 girls in govt hostels against HPV
Bengaluru: In the absence of a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program, the Karnataka State Health Department has undertaken a project to vaccinate around 11,400 14-year-old girls residing in government hostels under the Social Welfare Department (SWD).
According to global statistics cited by Deccan Herald on Thursday, eight out of 10 women will contract the HPV virus at some point in their lives. This poses a significant risk to over 480 million women in India, as certain strains of the virus can lead to cervical cancer. However, vaccination is known to be effective in preventing the onset of HPV-related cancers.
Sources told DH that the SWD will fund the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 2.88 crore. The funds will cover two doses of the vaccine for 11,393 girls across Karnataka. This includes 5,372 girls enrolled in class eight and 6,021 girls in class nine.
"The money is yet to be released; this will be discussed in the next meeting of the SC/ST Council," mentioned the source.
The vaccination drive will be carried out in one phase and is expected to roll out within the next two months, following the government order that was issued on March 1.
The order, which DH said that it had accessed, noted that the HPV vaccine will be administered according to the guidelines set by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) after the vaccines are procured by the State Health Department.
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Dharmasthala mass burial case: Two complainants appear before SIT in Belthangady
Belthangady: Two people, Purandara Gowda and Thularama Gowda of Dharmasthala, who had earlier filed complaints in relation to the Dharmasthala mass burial case and claimed to have witnessed the burial of bodies, spoke to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials on Wednesday.
Prior to the meeting, Purandara Gowda told reporters that he used to own a shop situated on River Nethravathi. “While at the shop, I had seen bodies being buried, in all likelihood, by the anonymous witness. I have, however, seen more than one person being involved in this work at the first and 13th sites identified by the witness,” he has said.
Thularama Gowda has said that he had seen the burial of bodies at sites beyond those identified by the witness. “The SIT will be provided the information on the matter,” Gowda added.
