The Andhra Pradesh health department has emphasized that all women over 30 years should undergo compulsory check ups for cervical cancer to avoid later stage complications of the disease.

Delivering a lecture at a seminar in department of medical education at Hyderabad, the director of public health and family welfare S. Aruna Kumari had advocated that women over 30 years and above should compulsorily get regular check ups cervical cancer because the disease is such that it can come to any one as it does not show any major symptoms until it reaches the final stage.

In order to create awareness and provide treatment facilities for women in the rural areas, the healthcare department of Andhra Pradesh is taking up several programmes in the state. In phase-1 the health department has taken up awareness programme and installation of testing facilities in Nellore and Vizanagaram districts. In phase-2 Kurnool, Krishna Chittoor and Ananthapur districts will be taken up.  

Particularly the cervical cancer is more prevalent in women contracted with HIV positive. C. Parthasarathi, project director AP AIDS control society said, “Out of every 1 lakh people in the country 50,000 are suffering from some or the other type of caner in the country. In Andhra Pradesh 15-20,000 people for every lakh population are suffering from various types of cancers.  Awareness and early detection are the two important steps to be taken to eradicate the cervical and breast cancer among women.”

Cervical and Breast cancers are the two most dreaded diseases prevailing among women.  Lack of awareness and unhygienic conditions are said to be the leading cause of spread of cervical cancer among women. It is estimated that there are nearly 7 to 9 lakh cancer cases occurring every year. The leading sites of cancer are oral, lungs, esophagus and stomach among men and cervices, breast and oral amongst the women. In developed countries it is the second leading cause of death with 2.5 million deaths every year. In developing countries, the cancer is a third leading cause of death and accounts for 3.8 million deaths every year.