The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was first introduced in India in 2008, but its uptake remained limited due to safety concerns, patchy information dissemination, logistical gaps and sociocultural barriers. 2 min read May 14, 2026 06:10 AM IST First published on: May 14, 2026 at 06:10 AM IST A modelling study in The Lancet has estimated that India can prevent more than 10 million cervical cancer cases over the next century if it achieves the WHO’s targets on HPV vaccination — 90 per cent of girls to be vaccinated by age 15; 70 per cent of women to be screened at ages 30 and above; and 90 per cent of patients to receive treatment. The scale of that possibility is extraordinary. But so is the scale of the challenge. India accounts for one of the world’s heaviest cervical-cancer burdens, with more than 1.2 lakh new cases and roughly 80,000 deaths each year.…