[News] India introduces human papillomavirus vaccination

On February 28, 2026, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the largest free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in history, aiming to immunize 11.5 million girls aged 14 across the country within 90 days. The vaccines will be administered free of charge at government-run health facilities, with the program subsequently integrated into India's Universal Immunisation Programme for routine delivery. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus endorsed the initiative, which targets cervical cancer — a disease that disproportionately burdens low- and middle-income countries and kills over 300,000 women worldwide each year. Given India's enormous population and its high cervical cancer incidence, this campaign represents a landmark step in global cancer prevention efforts.