India crosses over 80 lakh HPV vaccinations in its fight against cervical cancer

NEW DELHI: In its efforts to prevent cervical cancer, India has administered over 80 lakh doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine under the National HPV Vaccination Campaign over the past six months, officials said Friday.

Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have achieved 100 per cent coverage of their respective identified target populations, while Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have crossed 90 per cent coverage, officials added.

While Karnataka has achieved more than 85 per cent coverage, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Kerala, Telangana and Odisha have crossed 60 per cent coverage, they added.

Among states, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of vaccinations, with more than 22 lakh adolescent girls vaccinated under the campaign.

“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,” the officials added.

The National HPV Vaccination Campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28.

Under the campaign, 14-year-old girls are provided voluntary and free-of-cost single-dose vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), an infection that causes cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women in the country.

The vaccination is given with parental consent at government health facilities. All vaccination sessions under the campaign are conducted under the supervision of trained medical officers.

“Government health facilities are also linked with 24×7 healthcare facilities...following Immunization (AEFI). This mechanism ensures timely assessment, monitoring and management of any vaccination-related adverse event,” mentioned a statement from the Union Health Ministry.

As per Registrar General of India (RGI) 2021 estimates, approximately 1.2 crore girls constitute the annual cohort of 14-year-olds who are expected to benefit from the initiative each year.

As many states have made significant progress in expanding HPV vaccination coverage, the officials said this “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, they said.

Officials pointed out that MP and Gujarat have achieved 100 per cent coverage of their identified target cohorts, supported by sustained community mobilisation, coordinated implementation and focused field-level efforts.

The progress in Assam and other northeastern states also demonstrates the role of integrated community health networks and coordinated field-level action in expanding access across geographically diverse areas.

The campaign has placed strong emphasis on community engagement and credible information, with parents, healthcare providers, teachers and frontline health workers being actively engaged to address concerns and counter misinformation relating to HPV vaccination.

Healthcare providers, including paediatricians, gynaecologists and experts from institutions such as AIIMS, along with teachers and frontline health workers including ASHAs and ANMs, have supported awareness and mobilisation efforts across states and districts.

“The campaign has also leveraged India’s digital health infrastructure through the U-WIN platform, enabling programme managers to monitor vaccination coverage at the district level, identify coverage gaps and missed beneficiaries, and support more effective programme planning and resource allocation,” the statement said.

“The national campaign builds on extensive global experience with HPV vaccination,” it added.

More than 800 million doses of HPV vaccines have been distributed globally, providing substantial real-world experience on their use and safety.

HPV vaccination, initially adopted predominantly by high-income countries, has progressively expanded into national immunisation programmes across countries at different income levels.

At present, 87 per cent of upper-middle-income countries, 78 per cent of lower-middle-income countries and 54 per cent of low-income countries have adopted HPV vaccines in their National Immunization Programmes.

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, the statement said.

With the campaign progressing towards its final phase, the focus remains on reaching the remaining eligible beneficiaries and ensuring that no eligible girl is left behind.

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare continues to work closely with states and union territories, healthcare professionals, frontline health workers and communities to strengthen awareness, facilitate access and support effective implementation of the HPV Vaccination Campaign,” the statement said.

The statement added that achievement of 80 lakh HPV vaccine doses marks an important step in India’s efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and advance long-term protection against cervical cancer among future generations.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cervical cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women globally with around 6,04,000 new cases and around 2,80,000 deaths in 2024. It is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening and it can be cured if detected early and treated promptly.

India reports over 1,20,000 new cases and nearly 80,000 fatalities from cervical cancer each year, according to the 2022 WHO GLOBOCAN report.