Karnal, January 14: Additional Deputy Commissioner Yogesh Kumar Mehta said that an awareness campaign should be launched in the district regarding HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer. Parents of girls aged nine to 14 years should be educated about the importance of the vaccine so that the maximum number of girls can benefit from this vaccination campaign, which will be launched soon by the government.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Yogesh Kumar was addressing a meeting of officers from concerned departments regarding the preparations for HPV vaccination at the auditorium of the Mini Secretariat on Wednesday. He instructed the education department officials to organize special awareness camps in schools. During Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) in all government and private schools, teams from the health department, NGOs, Red Cross Society, Rotary Club, and Bharat Vikas Parishad should inform parents in detail about the benefits of this vaccine.
In the meeting, he instructed the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) to create awareness in rural areas through Sarpanches and Panchayats. When the vaccination begins, announcements should be made in the villages so that no eligible girl is left out. He instructed the officials of the Women and Child Development Department to create awareness among women at the grassroots level through Anganwadi centers. The ADC also appealed to the Red Cross Society and non-governmental organizations to cooperate in making this campaign a mass movement.
The meeting was attended by Civil Surgeon Dr. Poonam Chaudhary, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Sheenu Chaudhary, Red Cross Secretary Kulbir Malik, and officers from various departments, as well as representatives from Rotary Club, Bharat Vikas Parishad, and various NGOs.