Prime Highlight
- The government emphasized that expanding HPV vaccination and improving access to DNA-based screening are critical to eliminating cervical cancer in India.
- Officials highlighted the need for focused action, strong health systems, and coordinated efforts between states and stakeholders to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
Key Facts
- The country’s first national summit on cervical cancer, organised by AIIMS, brought together policymakers, doctors, researchers, and global health agencies.
- Priority strategies include vaccination for prevention, HPV DNA testing for early detection, and proper treatment with follow-up care through hub-and-spoke models.
Background
The government said that expanding HPV vaccination and improving access to DNA-based screening are critical steps to eliminate cervical cancer in India. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shared this message at the country’s first national summit dedicated to accelerating cervical cancer elimination.
The summit was organised by AIIMS and brought together policymakers, doctors, researchers and global health agencies to chart a clear roadmap for prevention, early detection and treatment. Addressing the gathering, Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director of the National Health Mission, said eliminating cervical cancer is an achievable goal for India with focused and timely action.
She said the government is committed to rapidly expanding HPV vaccination and strengthening screening systems, especially through high-performance HPV DNA testing. Patnaik added that clear protocols, stronger health systems and sustained cooperation between states and stakeholders will help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment for women across the country.
Prof Dr V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said India has a unique opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer but must act with speed and scale. He urged running evidence-based pilot projects to show that HPV DNA screening and self-sampling can work well, especially in primary healthcare.
The summit focused on three main areas: preventing disease with vaccines, detecting it early using advanced screening, and treating it effectively with proper follow-up care. Participants also discussed creating uniform national procedures, using hub-and-spoke care models, and ensuring smooth referral pathways.
Dr Abhishek Shankar from AIIMS said cervical cancer can no longer be tackled in isolation and requires collective action. He noted that bringing together government, clinicians and civil society is vital to drive accountability and progress.
The event concluded with a National Call to Action outlining priority steps to fast-track India’s cervical cancer elimination efforts.
