Allocation of Rs 1 lakh crore can be received for the first time, cervical cancer vaccine will also be free

The health sector, which is important for the health of the country, can get an allocation of Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time in the second general budget of Modi 3.0. A part of this can be for free cervical cancer vaccination for girls aged nine to 14 years. A top official said that the Health Ministry has sought a budget of more than Rs 1 lakh crore from the Finance Ministry to continue various health schemes and increase disease control and research activities.

The official said this time the budget is expected to achieve a new milestone because the health sector received Rs 75,731 crore in 2022, Rs 80,518 crore in 2023, and Rs 90,659 crore in 2024. During the same period, a large part of the budget received was given to the National Health Mission (NHM) at Rs 31,279 crore, Rs 31,551 crore, and Rs 36,000 crore respectively. This trend of budget increase for the health sector forms the basis of the expectation of Rs one lakh crore this time.

The Finance Minister announced vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer in the interim budget of 2024. However, this program has not been started yet due to lack of funds. According to a National Vaccination Committee official, a cervical cancer vaccine is under preparation in India at present at the hands of a laboratory in Maharashtra, i.e., Serum Institute of India. Progress in free vaccination in India reached a considerable level in such a way that it can be started a few weeks only after fund procurement in this budget. It can be started in all regions of India in two to three months for which a cost of Rs 2,000 crore can be borne.

The purpose of vaccinating is that cervical cancer is most common in women in India. In 2022, 1,27,000 new cases of cervical cancer have been enlisted in India. To evade such, a vaccine, HPV, is taken. It is an indigenised vaccine produced in India alone.

A director of the Ministry of Health said the budget increase is important because many ambitious schemes of the Center run under NHM. The government has been providing nine types of health benefits to the public under the scheme since 2014. Mission Indradhanush is being run under this scheme, in which newborns are vaccinated. So far 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women have been vaccinated.