Bengaluru, Feb. 28: In a major public health initiative aimed at preventing cervical cancer, the Government has launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign with a special focus on safeguarding the health of adolescent girls.
The campaign was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in Ajmer, Rajasthan. The launch was simultaneously webcast at K. C. General Hospital in Bengaluru, where senior health officials participated in the event.
Among those present in Bengaluru were Dr. Sujatha Rathod, Director of Medical Education; Avinash Menon, Managing Director of the National Health Mission; the Dean of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute; and the Director of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, along with other senior officials.
Under the programme, approximately 1.15 crore girls above the age of 14 will receive the HPV vaccine through government healthcare facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, Sub-District Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Government Medical Colleges.
Officials said the campaign will run for three months in mission mode to ensure maximum coverage among the targeted population. Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related illness among women in India, and the HPV vaccine is considered a key preventive measure.
Health authorities described the vaccination drive as a significant milestone in protecting the long-term health of girls and women, adding that the campaign will be expanded across the state in the coming days.
