HPV vaccination is a major milestone, but awareness, screening, and strong health systems will decide its impact.
Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that is largely preventable. Yet in India, a woman dies from it every eight minutes. Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, while in India it ranks as the second, with the country accounting for nearly one-fifth of the global burden. Recognising that this disease can be eliminated, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to achieve the 90–70–90 targets—vaccinating 90 percent of girls against HPV by the age of 15, screening 70 percent of women by the ages of 35 and 45, and ensuring that 90 percent of women diagnosed with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment.
India has now taken a significant step in that direction. In February 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination programme in Ajmer, Rajasthan, marking one of the country’s most decisive moves toward preventing cervical cancer. Under this initiative, the HPV vaccine will be provided free of cost at government health facilities to girls aged 14 years across the country, with girls who turn 15 within 90 days of the launch also eligible during the initial intensive drive. The introduction of the HPV vaccine across all states and Union Territories signals a strong national commitment to tackling a disease that has long taken a disproportionate toll on women.
Yet experience from public health programmes suggests that availability alone does not guarantee impact. The long-term success of HPV vaccination will depend on how effectively the programme is implemented, sustained, and embraced by communities. One of the most immediate challenges is vaccine hesitancy. Despite strong scientific evidence supporting the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, misinformation and social stigma around reproductive health continue to shape perceptions in many communities. Concerns about safety, fertility, and the association of HPV with sexual health often slow acceptance, particularly when families do not have access to reliable information.
Building public confidence therefore is vital for the success of the programme. Accurate and credible information must reach parents through trusted channels such as doctors, frontline health workers, schoolteachers, and the media. These voices often serve as the first point of contact for families seeking reassurance about new health interventions. Strengthening the capacity of such key influencers can help ensure that conversations about HPV vaccination are grounded in scientific evidence and communicated in ways that communities understand and trust.
School-based awareness and vaccination initiatives have shown that educational institutions can serve as powerful platforms for prevention. Experiences from screening and vaccination programmes led by Cancer Awareness Prevention and Early Detection (CAPED) Trust highlight how involving teachers, parents, and health workers can help address concerns and build confidence around HPV vaccination. In several cases, families that were initially hesitant chose to vaccinate their daughters after receiving clear and credible information from trusted local voices. At the same time, scaling up HPV vaccination nationwide will require sustained financial commitment, a reliable supply chain, and transparent communication on coverage and programme progress to ensure that every eligible girl is reached.
Equally important is the need for strong monitoring systems. A robust pharmacovigilance framework must be in place to track, investigate, and communicate any Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI). Clear protocols already exist under India’s Universal Immunization Programme, but their effective implementation will require sensitizing frontline health workers and healthcare providers. Transparent reporting and timely communication about such events can help strengthen public confidence and prevent misinformation from taking root.
While vaccination offers protection for the next generation, it must be complemented by efforts to reach women who remain at risk today. Millions of adult women who have already been exposed to HPV require access to timely screening and early detection services. The World Health Organization recommends that women be screened at least twice in their lifetime—by the ages of 35 and 45, using high-performance tests. Strengthening cervical cancer screening programmes, particularly through advanced methodologies such as HPV DNA testing, will therefore be crucial.
Public health experience in India illustrates why this step is critical. Cervical cancer screening has been offered free of cost at primary health centres for nearly a decade under the national non-communicable disease programme. Yet uptake remains extremely low, with fewer than 3% of women having undergone screening. This gap underscores a fundamental lesson: making a service available is only the first step. People must know about it, trust it, and feel empowered to access it.
Global experience demonstrates the effectiveness of a combined approach. Countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom have made significant progress in reducing cervical cancer through integrated strategies that bring together HPV vaccination, regular screening, timely treatment, and sustained public awareness. These examples show that eliminating cervical cancer is not an unrealistic aspiration—it is an achievable public health goal when prevention efforts are comprehensive and sustained.
For India, the path forward lies in strengthening all three pillars of cervical cancer prevention: vaccination, screening, and awareness. Researchers and programme managers must also invest in field-based studies to better understand community perceptions and identify barriers that limit vaccine uptake.
India today stands at an important moment in its fight against cervical cancer. The introduction of HPV vaccination nationwide has laid the foundation for change. But translating this opportunity into long-term impact will require sustained commitment from governments, health professionals, educators, communities, and civil society.
If these efforts come together—ensuring that girls are vaccinated, women are screened, and communities are informed—India can realistically move toward making cervical cancer a rare disease within a generation. The tools already exist. The task now is to ensure they reach every woman and every girl who needs them.