Update on HPV Vaccination Programme and Cervical Cancer Prevention
Government expansion of HPV vaccination under cervical cancer prevention strategy
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare uses the U-WIN portal to capture HPV vaccination coverage data.
- The Union Government's cervical cancer prevention strategy combines HPV vaccination, screening, early diagnosis at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and treatment through Day Care Cancer Centres.
- The HPV vaccination campaign uses radio jingles, posters, banners, myth-busting digital content, and social media to address vaccine hesitancy.
What happened
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported progress in the nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for eligible 14-year-old girls. The programme is part of the Union Government's wider cervical cancer prevention strategy, which combines vaccination, screening, early diagnosis, and treatment pathways.
The campaign was launched on 28 February 2026 across all 36 States and Union Territories. The government has said the vaccine is being provided free of cost at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Sub-District Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Government Medical Colleges.
UPSC may frame HPV vaccination around vaccine-based prevention of cervical cancer, the role of primary healthcare institutions in screening and immunisation, and the operational challenges of uptake, hesitancy, and digital delivery in public health systems.
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