New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will provide 40 million doses of cancer vaccines to Indo-Pacific countries through GAVI—the Vaccine Alliance—and QUAD initiatives. This commitment was made during the Cancer Moonshot Event held on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.
The initiative focuses on implementing innovative strategies for the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer. PM Modi expressed gratitude to President Biden for organizing the event, highlighting it as a testament to the shared resolve of Quad nations to deliver affordable and accessible healthcare.
Reflecting on the collaborative spirit of the group, Modi noted that the Quad had previously launched the Quad Vaccine Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now turning its efforts toward addressing challenges like cervical cancer.
“Collaboration is essential in cancer care,” Modi stated, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach encompassing prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment to alleviate the cancer burden. He highlighted India’s large-scale, cost-effective cervical cancer screening program and mentioned the country’s extensive health insurance scheme designed to ensure affordable access to medicines.
Furthermore, PM Modi announced that India has developed its own cervical cancer vaccine and is introducing new treatment protocols with the aid of artificial intelligence. He reiterated India’s willingness to share its expertise and experiences in this field.
As part of its commitment, India will also provide support worth $7.5 million in the form of sampling kits, detection kits, and vaccines. Additionally, PM Modi assured that India would collaborate on radiotherapy treatment and capacity-building efforts. He praised the Quad for its human-centric approach to health challenges, reinforcing the vision of “One Earth, One Health.”