Modi In US: PM Pledges 40 Million Vaccine Doses For Cervical Cancer At Moonshot Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in Quad Cancer Moonshot on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware during his visit to the US.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Quad Cancer Moonshot event in Wilmington, Delaware.

Source : X/@narendramodi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged 40 million vaccine doses from India for cervical cancer and a grant of US $7.5 million for testing, screening and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region. He made the announcement during the Quad Cancer Moonshot event hosted by US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. 

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi lauded Biden's initiative saying that the programme would go a long way in providing affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare to people in Indo-Pacific countries. 

He noted India's initiative for a mass cervical cancer screening programme and highlighted that the country has developed a cervical cancer vaccine. He also said India is working on an AI-based treatment protocol for the disease. 

My remarks at the Quad Leaders' Cancer Moonshot event. https://t.co/Q9avnKJVs6

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2024

In line with India's vision of ONE WORLD, ONE HEALTH, Modi announced to dedicate a grant of US $7.5 million to cancer testing, screening, and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region. He also announced India's support to the Cancer Moonshot initiative for radiotherapy treatment and capacity building for cancer prevention in the region. 

PM Modi pledged 40 million vaccine doses for prevention of the disease under GAVI and QUAD programs. "As you can see when the QUAD acts, it is not just for nations. This is the true essence of our human-centric approach," he noted. 

He also announced the India will offer technical assistance to interested countries in the region on DPI for cancer screening, care and continuum through its US$ 10 million contribution to WHO’s-Global Initiative on Digital Health.

President Joe Biden announced that the US Navy will begin a program to train Indo-Pacific counterparts in conducting cervical cancer screening and vaccination. 

"Every year, 1,50,000 woman die from cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific. We can't and will not let that continue," he said.