India Launches Free Nationwide HPV Vaccination Against Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable, yet it remains one of the leading cancer killers of women in India, which records well over 100,000 new cases each year. On 28 February 2026, the country took a major step to change that, launching a free nationwide HPV vaccination campaign aimed at adolescent girls, in a drive announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ajmer, Rajasthan.

The campaign targets 14-year-old girls across all states and union territories, offering the vaccine at no cost in government health facilities. Because the human papillomavirus is responsible for the overwhelming majority of cervical cancers, vaccinating girls before exposure can prevent most cases later in life. HPV vaccines are extremely effective — between 93% and 100% against the cancer-causing virus types they cover — which is why the World Health Organization has urged every country to add them to routine immunization.

The rollout has drawn strong support from India's medical community. The Indian Medical Association, which represents more than 400,000 doctors, pledged its full backing and said it had trained over 30,000 physicians to counsel families and administer the vaccine. "In the coming decades, women will be free from cervical cancer. I congratulate the government," said IMA President Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak, capturing the long-term ambition behind a single childhood shot.

There are real challenges ahead. India has faced HPV vaccine hesitancy in the past, and reaching tens of millions of girls every year across a vast, diverse country will demand sustained logistics, education and trust-building. Coverage will not climb overnight, and screening for older women remains essential. But launching a free, nationwide program at this scale is a landmark for the global fight against cervical cancer — a disease the world genuinely has the tools to eliminate.