New Government Strategy: HPV Vaccination and DNA Testing to Eradicate Cervical Cancer

New Delhi, Jan 18: Vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as well as improving access to DNA-based screening is crucial to eliminate cervical cancer in India, said officials from the Health Ministry.

The experts were speaking at India’s first national summit organised by AIIMS to accelerate the cervical cancer elimination agenda.

Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.

“Cervical cancer elimination is an achievable goal for India, and we are fully committed to accelerating action across prevention, screening, and treatment,” said Patnaik.

“Our focus is on rapidly expanding HPV vaccination, strengthening screening at all levels — particularly through high-performance methods such as HPV DNA testing — to ensure timely access to diagnosis and treatment for every woman. With stronger systems, clear operational protocols, and sustained partnerships across states and stakeholders, we can make cervical cancer elimination a reality and safeguard the health of millions of women across the country,” she added.

Prof Dr V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, stated that “India has a historic opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer, but it requires speed, scale and system-wide alignment”.

He highlighted the need for evidence-based implementation models.

“We must initiate pilot projects that demonstrate how HPV DNA-based screening and self-sampling can be implemented on scale, particularly across primary healthcare platforms. These insights will help India build a national model that ensures women everywhere benefit from timely screening, accurate diagnostics, and seamless follow-up,” Paul added.

Organised by the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Onco-Anaesthesia & Palliative Medicine, DRBRAIRCH at AIIMS, the Summit focused on the three key pillars.

Starting with scaling HPV vaccination to strengthening screening through high-performance HPV DNA testing, the event focused on boosting self-sampling methods and closing the loop with effective cancer care.

The summit also delved into establishing uniform national SOPs, enabling hub-and-spoke care models, and streamlining treatment and follow-up pathways to ensure equitable, high-quality care nationwide.

“Cervical cancer can no longer be addressed in silos. Convening government, clinicians, innovators, and patient advocates is key to creating the momentum and accountability needed to accelerate prevention, early detection, and effective treatment,” said Dr Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, DRBRAIRCH at AIIMS.

“Through this initiative, we aim to define clear, actionable recommendations that will shape India’s roadmap to cervical cancer elimination,” he added.

The Summit brought together over 500 participants, including representatives from AIIMS campuses nationwide, state health departments, cancer institutes, WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, civil society organisations, and industry partners, and concluded with a National Call to Action outlining priority steps to accelerate India’s cervical cancer elimination roadmap.