Mumbai: A day after a post on Poonam Pandey’s official Instagram account announced her death, the actor-model on Saturday shared a video, claiming that it was an attempt to create ‘awareness’ on cervical cancer.
“I am alive, I did not die because of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, I cannot say that for hundreds and thousands of women who have lost their life because of cervical cancer due to lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease. I am here to tell you that unlike some other cancers, cervical cancer is entirely preventable. All you have to do is get the tests done and get HPV vaccine. We have the means to ensure no one loses their life to this disease. Let’s empower one another with critical awareness and ensure every woman is informed about the steps to take,” she said.
In another video, she also apologised for the death stunt. “I am sorry to those I have hurt. My intention? To shock everyone into the conversation that we are not talking enough about, where cervical cancer. Yes, I faked my demise. Extreme, I know. But suddenly, we are all talking about cervical cancer. Aren’t we,” she asked.
The actor-model added that she was proud of what “her death news have been able to achieve”.
Poonam’s ‘unexpected’ death at the age of 32 was mourned by numerous fans and celebrities, it also stirred controversy and created confusion among netizen on Friday as there was no evidence to support the claim amid her family’s silence over it. People asked for medical reports and noted that there are no photos of her dead body or funeral released yet.
Some social media users had also suggested that this news was a publicity stunt for promoting HPV vaccination against cervical cancer as it came a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a plan to encourage vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer while presenting the Interim Budget for 2024-25 in Parliament.
Speaking to Hauterrfly.com, Poonam’s manager Nikita Sharma had said, “Poonam Pandey’s commitment to her work and her unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles was truly remarkable. Her demise will continue to remind us of the urgency to prioritise health, particularly in the case of preventable diseases like cervical cancer.”
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