Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar on Saturday announced that the Maharashtra government will provide free cancer vaccines to girls aged 0-14, highlighting growing concerns over rising cancer cases across the state.

“With changes in lifestyle, cancer cases are rising in both rural and urban areas. Previously, cancer was often linked to specific addictions, but now it’s being detected across all age groups, including children. This is highly concerning,” he said.

To address the issue, the Maharashtra government has decided to implement a free cancer vaccination program.

“We have requested our Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Ajit Pawar, to provide free cancer vaccinations to girls aged 0-14. He has agreed to implement this initiative through the Maharashtra government,” Abitkar added.

Meanwhile, the state has also taken preventive steps in response to the detection of bird flu in crows in Vidarbha. Abitkar clarified that there is no confirmed case of human infection.

“Regarding the situation in Vidarbha, we are taking precautions due to the detection of avian influenza (bird flu) in crows. There is currently no clear evidence of bird flu in the suspected patient, and we have sent his report to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for further analysis. As a preventive measure, we have temporarily closed chicken shops in the area,” he added.

Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged people to avoid consuming undercooked chicken as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Pune. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event marking the 75th anniversary of the Pune Municipal Corporation(PMC), Pawar addressed speculation linking the outbreak to chicken consumption.

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