India Joins Global Push on First Cervical Cancer Day
Geneva: The world marked the first World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, mandated by the World Health Assembly, signalling a historic milestone in global efforts to end a preventable cancer. This commemoration comes at a moment when cervical cancer—the fourth most common cancer among women—claims over 350,000 lives every year, yet remains largely preventable through vaccination, early screening, and timely treatment. The day is designed as a platform to strengthen advocacy, accelerate service delivery, and mobilise resources, ensuring that every woman and girl has access to life-saving care.
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s global elimination strategy rests on three core pillars: vaccinating 90 per cent of girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), screening 70 per cent of women, and treating 90 per cent of those diagnosed with pre-cancerous lesions or invasive cancer. Since the launch of the global call to action in 2018, countries worldwide have stepped up efforts to translate these targets into practice. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, noted that the vision of a cervical cancer–free future is increasingly within reach, as more nations scale up HPV vaccination, improve screening programmes, and expand treatment services.
The day was also underscored by a milestone from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which, along with its partners, announced that the ambitious target of vaccinating 86 million girls by the end of 2025 had been met. Verification of this coverage is expected to be released in July 2026 based on official WHO and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) data.
Global country-level actions illustrate the momentum. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, vaccination campaigns are targeting over 1.5 million girls, while Sierra Leone is also planning a nationwide screening campaign across all 16 districts, complemented by an awareness walk. Malaysia has promoted self-sampling HPV testing as part of a week-long advocacy effort led by cervical cancer survivors. In Angola, an HPV vaccination campaign was launched in October 2025 for girls aged 9–12 years. China has included the HPV vaccine in its national immunisation programme, scaling vaccination to all 13-year-old girls. Cuba initiated vaccination in October 2025 for all girls in Grade 4. Ghana conducted a nationwide campaign targeting girls aged 9–14, aiming to reach 2.4 million girls. Indonesia hosted the Second Global Forum for Cervical Cancer Elimination, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating cervical cancer by 2030 through national targets of 90–75–90 and substantial investments in vaccination, screening, and treatment under its National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan 2023–2030. Nepal conducted nationwide HPV vaccination for girls aged 10–14 in February 2025, marking the introduction of the vaccine into the national immunisation schedule.
Nigeria launched a nationwide cervical cancer elimination effort, with the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, committing US$700,000 through the Renewed Hope Initiative, reaffirming the country’s leadership and support for WHO elimination targets, as reflected in its co-leadership of the resolution establishing World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day. Pakistan undertook its largest-ever single HPV campaign, targeting girls aged 9–14 and reaching over 9 million girls. Rwanda, through its Mission 2027 Accelerated Plan for Elimination, is rapidly expanding nationwide screening and treatment services to meet the 90–70–90 targets by 2027, three years ahead of the global goal. Spain, through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, has committed a three-year investment supporting the WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative to strengthen access to HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions. South Africa placed cervical cancer elimination on the global stage as part of its G20 health agenda, co-leading the resolution establishing World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, while finalising its National Strategic Framework for Cervical Cancer Elimination. Tajikistan launched HPV vaccination for all girls aged 10–14 years in its routine immunisation schedule from October 2025, and Tunisia introduced the HPV vaccine into its routine programme for 12-year-old girls in April 2025. Across the Western Pacific Region, Unitaid and WHO have strengthened partnerships to expand equitable access to screening and treatment services for precancerous lesions.
India has played a prominent role in this global movement. According to the National Health Mission and the National Non-Communicable Disease Portal, over 10.18 crore (101.8 million) women aged 30 years and above have been screened for cervical cancer under India’s national programmes by mid-2025. However, a parliamentary reply shows that, out of 25.16 crore (251.6 million) eligible women, only 8.88 crore (88.8 million) had been screened by December 2024. The Indian Council of Medical Research–National Cancer Registry Programme reports 35,691 cervical cancer deaths in 2023, highlighting that despite substantial screening, mortality remains significant. While the HPV vaccine is not yet part of India’s Universal Immunisation Programme, the indigenously developed HPV vaccine Cervavac, produced by the Serum Institute of India, has been launched, offering a path toward increased coverage for girls aged 9–14 years. Screening, vaccination awareness, and accessibility continue to be scaled up, with government and state initiatives aiming to bridge coverage gaps.
Experts note that expanding cervical cancer elimination requires a comprehensive approach that integrates vaccination, screening, treatment, and community awareness. As countries commemorate World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, the event underscores that prevention, early detection, and timely treatment are now within reach globally, and particularly in countries such as India, which is rapidly scaling both screening programmes and access to locally produced HPV vaccines. The combination of national initiatives, international partnerships, and community engagement offers a realistic roadmap toward achieving the WHO targets and ultimately eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat.
– global bihari bureau
