Cervical cancer remains one of the world’s most preventable yet persistently deadly diseases. In 2025, an estimated 132,000 new cases and 74,000 deaths were recorded in India, making it the second most common
cancer among women, claiming a life every eight minutes.
What makes these statistics especially tragic is that most of these deaths occur from a disease that is largely preventable through early intervention. More than 90% of cervical cancer cases are linked to persistent infection with high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus transmitted through intimate contact.
The science of how HPV causes cancer and how vaccines prevent it is now well established. Despite decades of research and demonstrable success in countries that have implemented broad vaccination programmes, the discourse around HPV vaccination, particularly in India, remains limited. Misconceptions about safety, timing, and necessity persist, leaving millions of women vulnerable to a disease that could be dramatically reduced with existing tools.
Why Cervical Cancer Is Preventable
Cervical cancer develops when certain types of HPV that infect the cervix lead to changes in the cells lining the cervix. Over years or even decades, these changes can progress from precancerous lesions to invasive cancer. Unlike many cancers, where early causes are shrouded in mystery, the pathogenesis of cervical cancer is well understood. Persistent infection with high-risk HPV strains is the main driver.
Vaccines can block the most dangerous strains of HPV before infection ever takes place. When administered early, typically in girls before they are exposed to the virus, the vaccines prevent the precancerous cell changes that eventually lead to cancer.
Scientific evidence shows that vaccination reduces the incidence of these early lesions by nearly 98% when given before exposure. Crucially, the protection is long-lasting, enduring for more than a decade in many recipients and significantly reducing lifetime cancer risk.
Countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which have adopted widespread early vaccination, have documented steep declines in both HPV infections and cervical precancerous changes, validating the preventive power of early immunisation, as per multiple studies quoted in The Lancet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actively promote timely vaccination, often recommending it for preteens aged 11 or 12, to ensure maximum effectiveness before exposure to the virus.
In some populations with high vaccination coverage, precancerous cervical lesions have become rare among vaccinated cohorts — a testament to the effectiveness of prevention on a population scale.
What Is India’s Current Reality?
India faces a disproportionate share of the global cervical cancer burden. While precise figures vary by region, tens of thousands of new cases occur annually, and a significant number of women die each year from the disease. Projections suggest that without scaled-up prevention, incidence and mortality could rise in the decades ahead, driven by demographic changes and limited access to early detection and treatment.
HPV vaccines are available in India and include multiple options targeting the high-risk virus types most associated with cervical cancer. The Central government’s 2024 roll-out of a domestically produced HPV vaccine for girls aged 9 and 14 was a milestone, signalling official acknowledgment of vaccination as a primary prevention strategy. However, coverage remains uneven and generally low across much of the country. Many eligible girls still do not receive the vaccine, and screening programmes reach only a fraction of women at risk.
In some districts, targeted campaigns are underway to expand vaccination through school-based drives and community outreach. A simplified single-dose strategy has been introduced in parts of the country, which, if successful at scale, could ease logistical barriers and widen access. These efforts offer promise, but they have not yet translated into national momentum.
The Misconceptions That Persist
Despite the availability of vaccines and growing evidence of their benefit, misconceptions about HPV vaccination continue to undermine uptake. Many parents believe that their daughters are not at risk because HPV is sexually transmitted; they assume that vaccination is unnecessary in girls who are not yet sexually active. Others worry about safety, questioning whether the vaccine might cause long-term harm or infertility — misunderstandings that science does not support.
Some families believe that vaccination after a certain age loses its effectiveness, unaware that vaccination is most effective before exposure to HPV. Others assume that vaccines are only necessary for populations with high risk, failing to reckon with the reality that HPV exposure is widespread and unpredictable. In many communities, cultural discomfort with discussions about sexually transmitted infections discourages open dialogue about vaccination, leading to hesitancy or silence.
These beliefs reflect not only gaps in understanding but also broader social norms that make conversations about preventive sexual health difficult. For many, vaccination against an infection linked to sexual activity is awkward to discuss, even when the intervention has profound implications for cancer prevention decades later.
Why Early Vaccination Is Important
The rationale behind early HPV vaccination is straightforward: the vaccine works best before exposure to the virus. Because HPV is typically transmitted through intimate contact, vaccinating girls in early adolescence, well before sexual debut, ensures they develop protective immunity in advance of potential exposure. Immunological studies show that younger individuals mount a stronger vaccine response, further supporting early immunisation.
When vaccines are administered after exposure to high-risk HPV types, their capacity to prevent infection and downstream precancerous changes diminishes. This is not to say that vaccination in older individuals provides no benefit; it can still protect against types the person has not encountered, but the maximal cancer prevention benefit is achieved through early vaccination.
This timing also intersects with cultural barriers. Parents and caregivers often view vaccination decisions through the lens of perceived risk or social norms rather than long-term health outcomes. By framing vaccination as a preventive measure executed in childhood, similar to vaccines against polio or hepatitis, health communication efforts can help shift perceptions away from associations with sexual activity and toward universal cancer prevention.
Why Is The Role Of Screening Key?
While HPV vaccination significantly reduces the risk of cervical cancer, it does not eliminate it entirely. Vaccines do not protect against all cancer-causing HPV types, and they do not treat existing infections. As a result, vaccination must be complemented by regular cervical screening to identify and manage precancerous changes that do arise.
In countries with successful vaccination programmes, screening remains a cornerstone of cervical cancer control. When vaccination coverage is high and integrated with routine screening, the combined impact dramatically lowers both incidence and mortality. Innovative screening technologies, including visual inspection and high-sensitivity HPV testing, have made early detection more accessible, even in resource-limited settings.
In India, coverage of cervical screening is still limited, particularly in rural areas. Many women lack access to routine pelvic exams or Pap tests, and awareness of screening benefits is uneven. Integrating screening with vaccination programmes could help create a more comprehensive preventive model, ensuring that women benefit from early detection as well as immunisation.
Why HPV Should Be Discussed More
At a time when India’s health priorities encompass infectious diseases, maternal mortality, and emerging non-communicable diseases, HPV vaccination has not yet achieved the prominence it deserves in public discourse. Unlike vaccines for polio or measles, which have been part of national and local narratives for decades, HPV vaccination has struggled to become a household topic. Even though cervical cancer ranks among the most preventable cancers, the conversation around its prevention through vaccination remains marginal.
A more robust public-health campaign could shift this reality. Schools, primary health centres, community leaders, and digital media platforms all have roles to play in educating families about the benefits of early HPV vaccination. Information campaigns that clarify safety, timing and long-term impact can help parents make informed decisions. Health workers trained to address common concerns and misconceptions can build trust and acceptance within communities.
Framing the vaccine as a tool for cancer prevention rather than a response to sexual activity may also help reduce discomfort and disengagement. When parents understand that vaccination protects their daughters from a devastating disease later in life — one that can disrupt education, livelihoods and family stability — the decision becomes less about social stigma and more about health empowerment.
What India Can Learn From Other Countries
International experience shows that when HPV vaccination is prioritised and normalised, results are striking. Several countries that achieved high vaccination coverage early have seen drastic reductions in infections and precancerous lesions among vaccinated cohorts.
In Brazil, HPV vaccination was introduced in 2014 via the National Immunization Program (PNI), initially targeting girls aged 9-13 years through school campaigns. First-dose coverage exceeded 80% in the first year but subsequently declined, with full-schedule completion rates dropping below 60%. Brazil later expanded eligibility to boys and immunocompromised populations and, more recently, extended catch-up vaccination to older adolescents, per a journal published in the National Library of Medicine.
Australia is widely recognised as a pioneer in introducing school-based vaccination in 2007. With coverage exceeding 80% among adolescent girls, it recorded a dramatic reduction in HPV infection, genital warts, and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia within a decade. Modelling studies now project that Australia may become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2035.
In some populations, precancerous cervical changes have become rare, highlighting the potential for vaccination not just to reduce disease but to reshape the future landscape of cervical cancer.
India’s large and diverse population presents challenges in logistics and communication, but it also offers opportunities: existing immunisation systems, community health worker networks, and digital outreach channels could be leveraged to expand HPV vaccination coverage rapidly if political and social will aligned.
Why HPV Vaccination Needs More Attention
This is not merely a medical issue; it is a public health, social, and cultural challenge that requires broad engagement. Early immunisation can prevent the majority of cervical cancer cases, but only if families, educators, and policymakers demonstrate sustained commitment.
Early HPV vaccination is a powerful tool, but it must be wielded with knowledge, communication, and urgency. Normalising HPV vaccination as routine childhood health care — free of stigma and grounded in evidence — could transform the nation’s approach to women’s health.
