Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) Introduction

Protecting Girls from Cervical Cancer in India

A schoolgirl receives a vaccination from a health worker© JSI

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, with more than 127,000 new cases and nearly 80,000 deaths recorded annually. India accounts for nearly one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden, with persistent high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection causing 99.7% of all cases. The World Health Organization launched a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, recognizing that vaccination prior to exposure delivers near-total protection.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a national HPV vaccination campaign on 28th February, 2026. Under this campaign, every girl aged 14 receives a voluntary, free, single dose at designated government health facilities with parental consent. As the lead technical partner to MoHFW, JSIPL provided end-to-end technical, operational, and managerial support to launch and scale India's first gender-specific adolescent immunization campaign.

Health workers travel by boat with a vaccine carrier
© JSI

Duration

2025 to 2028

Geography

Nationwide. All 36 states and union territories

Partners

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, State Health Departments

Donor

Gates Foundation

1.2 crore girls aged 14 in the annual cohort the campaign set out to reach
80 lakh+ vaccinations by September 2026
Over 1,300 master trainers and officials trained, who cascaded the training to district and sub-district level

JSIPL technical leadership against a preventable cancer

A vaccination session at UPHC Jali Kothi, Shahjahanpur, with an HPV campaign poster in the background© JSI

Introducing an adolescent vaccine required shifting beyond traditional infant immunization frameworks to build tailored delivery and demand generation strategies. Applying the proven new vaccine introduction model refined during national Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) rollouts, JSIPL supported MoHFW and state governments through every phase of preparation and execution.

JSIPL developed comprehensive materials, including Operational Guidelines, medical officer and health worker FAQs, and state-specific learning resource packages for all training levels. JSIPL continues to provide techno-managerial support to MoHFW and the states in the on-ground implementation of the HPV vaccination campaign.

Operationalizing the HPV Rollout

  1. System Preparedness & ReadinessOrganized MoHFW preparatory workshops for states and union territories and supported Ministry-led preparedness assessments across all states and districts prior to launch.
  2. Cascaded Hybrid Capacity BuildingFacilitated 15 regional and state ToT workshops for over 1,300 master trainers and health officials, using a blended model of live expert sessions and digital pre- and post-assessments to cascade technical knowledge to district and sub-district levels.
  3. Inter-Ministerial Governance & MicroplanningMember of National, State, and District Task Forces for Immunization, coordinating health, education, and social welfare departments for effective campaign roll out.

What Comes Next

To address ongoing operational supply and demand challenges, JSIPL embedded digital innovations and a structured Learning Agenda into the rollout, establishing a data-driven foundation to strengthen service delivery and ensure long-term program sustainability.

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