Cervavac

Why in the News?

Union Minister of Science and Technology announced the scientific completion of Cervavac, India’s first indigenously developed vaccine for cervical cancer.

Key Points:

About Cevavac:

• Developed by: Serum Institute of India in coordination with the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• It received market authorisation approval from the Drug Controller General of India in July 2022.

Cervical Cancer

• Cervical cancer is the most common Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related disease.
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract.
• It is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, according to the WHO.
• It is preventable if detected early and managed effectively.

Screening and vaccination are two powerful tools that are available for preventing cervical cancer.

Prevalence of Cervical cancer in India

• Cervical cancer is the leading cancer among women, with about 132,000 cases annually and 74,000 deaths in India, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 
• India contributes 17 per cent of the world’s population but shares more than a quarter of the global cervical cancer burden.