India has successfully vaccinated 8 million adolescent girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the last six months. This initiative is part of the National HPV Vaccination Campaign, which aims to prevent cervical cancer. The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.
“The progress reflects coordinated implementation by States and Union Territories, sustained community mobilisation and active engagement of district-level health teams. States have adopted context-specific approaches to reach eligible adolescent girls through the public health delivery network, including in rural, urban, remote and geographically challenging areas,” read the health ministry statement. In a study published in The Lancet in June, it was shown that high HPV vaccination coverage was associated with a substantial reduction in cervical cancer deaths. “The growing adoption of HPV vaccination across diverse income settings reflects its increasing role as an important component of national strategies for cervical cancer prevention.
With 123,000 new diagnoses annually, India accounts for approximately one-fifth of all cervical cancer cases globally and one-quarter of all cervical cancer deaths, and it is the second most common cancer among Indian women. In a 2024 study, published in The Lancet, it was mentioned that there was emerging evidence suggesting one dose of HPV vaccine was as effective in preventing HPV infection and cervical precancerous lesions as a multidose regimen, and in 2022, The World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule in females aged 9–20 years.
“The milestone marks the expanding reach of HPV vaccination through the public health system and reinforces India’s commitment to strengthening preventive healthcare for adolescent girls,” said health ministry in a statement. All vaccination sessions under the campaign are conducted under the supervision of trained medical officers at government health facilities,” said the health ministry.
