The Indian government has approved a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive under its “Swastha Nari Sashakt Parivar” (Healthy Woman, Empowered Family) initiative, marking a significant step in the fight against cervical cancer.
As per the media reports, the campaign, expected to begin in the coming weeks, will offer the Gardasil HPV vaccine free of cost to adolescent girls aged 14 years and above across the country, health ministry officials said.
The drive aims to expand access to a preventive immunisation that protects against the high-risk HPV strains most commonly linked to cervical cancer. The quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine targets HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases, as well as types 6 and 11. Officials cited strong global and Indian scientific evidence that even a single dose provides robust and lasting protection when given at the recommended age.
Vaccinations under the programme will be voluntary and administered at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Community Health Centres (CHCs), sub-district and district hospitals, and government medical colleges. Each session will be overseen by trained medical officers and supported by skilled healthcare teams with provisions for post-vaccination monitoring.
The nationwide HPV campaign is part of a broader public health outreach aimed at strengthening women’s healthcare, early disease detection, and preventive services under the Swastha Nari mission, which has previously run large-scale health camps and services focused on maternal, adolescent and community health.
The programme has been expected to play a crucial role in reducing the burden of cervical cancer, which remains one of India’s most common cancers in women but is largely preventable with vaccination and early intervention.
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