To strengthen women’s health and eliminate preventable cancers, the Centre is set to soon launch a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. The initiative aims at protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer, one of the most common yet preventable cancers affecting women in India.The programme aligns with World Health Organisation recommendations, which identify HPV vaccination as a central pillar of the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.India’s national programme will use Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. Strong global and Indian scientific evidence confirms that a single dose provides robust and durable protection when administered to girls in the recommended age group, officials said.With the forthcoming launch, India will join 160 countries that have already introduced HPV vaccination into their national immunisation schedules. Globally, over 90 countries are implementing single-dose HPV vaccination schedules, improving coverage and affordability.“The nationwide programme will target girls aged 14 years, an age at which the HPV vaccine offers maximum preventive benefit, well before potential exposure to the virus. Vaccination under the national programme will be voluntary and free of cost, ensuring equitable access across socio-economic groups,” an official said.HPV vaccination under the national programme will be conducted at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (primary health centres), community health centres, sub-district and district hospitals and government medical colleges.Each vaccination session will be carried out in the presence of trained medical officers, supported by skilled healthcare teams and equipped for post-vaccination observation and management of any rare adverse events. All vaccination sites will be linked to 24×7 government health facilities, ensuring immediate medical support and reinforcing safety and parental confidence.To ensure uninterrupted availability and uncompromised quality, the government has secured HPV vaccine supplies through a transparent, globally supported procurement mechanism. Under India’s partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, high-quality Gardasil vaccines — approved by India’s drug regulator and widely used internationally — have been made available for the national programme.According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, the estimated number of deaths due to cervical cancer in the country in 2023 was 35,691. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha last year, Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav informed Parliament that the estimated number of deaths due to cervical cancer in India was 34,806 in 2022, 33,938 in 2021, 33,095 in 2020 and 32,246 in 2019.Sources within the health ministry said cervical cancer remained the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases reported annually. Scientific evidence establishes that almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV, particularly types 16 and 18, which together account for more than 80 per cent of cervical cancer cases in India.Despite being largely preventable through vaccination and early screening, cervical cancer continues to impose a heavy burden on women and families. The forthcoming HPV vaccination programme seeks to address this challenge by preventing HPV infection before it progresses to cancer.HPV vaccines are among the most extensively studied vaccines worldwide, with evidence demonstrating 93-100 per cent effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer caused by vaccine-covered HPV types.