The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Grameen Phone (GP) will finance a pilot vaccination programme to prevent cervical cancer among economically disadvantaged young women in the country.

The vaccination programme will be conducted by Bangladesh Medical University in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Harvard University.

A committee headed by Prof Shaila Khatun, Prof Samina Chowdhury and others will conduct the programme, according to the GP officials.

Under the pilot programme, the HPV vaccination will be administered among 30 economically disadvantaged young women.

Prof ABMF Karim, Professor Emeritus of Vrije University of Amsterdam, Chairman of the Oncology Club and Adviser of the SAARC Federation of Oncologists, said, "The pilot vaccination programme to prevent cervical cancer among poor young women is a great initiative. This vaccine has only recently been introduced in some developed countries like the USA, Canada and European countries and this is perhaps for the first time it is being implemented in any developing country."

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many developing countries like Bangladesh.

The Harvard Medical School will conduct an impact study on the vaccination programme. This pilot study of evaluating the HPV vaccine in Bangladesh was proposed by Dr Bimalangshu Dey and Dr Annekathryn Goodman both from the Harvard Medical School.

The study was designed to look at the cost implications and feasibility of possible integration of the programme into routine vaccination schedules for women aged between 11 and 26 years. Issued of culture and parental attitude will be also studied.