Turning the Tide on Cervical Cancer in India
TL;DR
Findings from Australia demonstrate that HPV vaccination is highly cost-effective when delivered through national immunisation programmes, particularly when high coverage and long-term reductions in cervical cancer burden are considered, and support sustained public investment in HPV vaccination as a high-value cancer prevention strategy.
Abstract
The Government of India’s decision to launch a free nationwide single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for girls aged 14 is a major milestone in the fight against cervical cancer. 1 Despite being largely preventable, cervical cancer continues to impose a heavy mortality burden in India, with 127,526 incident cases and 79,906 deaths reported in 2022. 2 Persistent infection with high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 accounts for most cervical cancers. 2 WHO now endorses a single-dose schedule for girls aged 9–14 years, recognising that one dose provides durable protection and facilitates broader and faster vaccine coverage. 3 Furthermore, a meta-analysis of more than 902,368 vaccinated women found that one-dose schedules offer protection comparable to two-and three-dose regimens, with effectiveness sustained for at least eight years. 4 HPV vaccination in India has historically been constrained by cost, with market prices placing the vaccine beyond the reach of most families and contributing to extremely low coverage. 2 The Government of India’s decision to provide the free vaccine through a national campaign therefore represents an important step toward correcting long-standing inequities in access to cervical cancer prevention. 1 By removing financial barriers, the programme has the potential to reach girls in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, where cervical cancer mortality remains disproportionately high. 2 To ensure sustained impact, however, incorporation into the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) would be preferable to a time-limited campaign model. 5 Routine integration protects successive birth cohorts, strengthens accountability, and supports long-term coverage stability. 5 Economic evaluations from Australia have demonstrated that HPV vaccination is highly cost-effective when delivered through national immunisation programmes, particularly when high coverage and long-term reductions in cervical cancer burden are considered. 6 These findings support sustained public investment in HPV vaccination as a high-value cancer prevention strategy.