Tens of thousands of doctors in India are currently undergoing training to promote the administration of the HPV vaccine, with the goal of eliminating cervical cancer in the country. They are conducting discussions with mothers attending medical appointments to ensure they plan to vaccinate their daughters, and they are also visiting schools and community centers to provide information and debunk misconceptions about the vaccine.

India accounts for one in five cervical cancer cases worldwide, with the vast majority caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Although HPV vaccination has become routine in many nations and is privately available in India since 2008, the uptake has been low due to the expense of imported vaccines and misconceptions stemming from a past vaccine trial.

However, India has started producing its own cervical cancer vaccine, and the government plans to include it in the national immunization program soon. A training program for doctors has been initiated to build confidence and provide practical information on the vaccine and its benefits.

Sutapa Biswas, co-founder of the Cancer Foundation of India, expressed frustration with the lack of use of the vaccine despite its availability, noting that the cost of treating cancer far exceeds that of vaccination. The Covid-19 pandemic has helped increase understanding of the link between viruses and vaccines, which aids in explaining the need for the HPV vaccine to the public.

The training aims to educate doctors about the importance of HPV vaccination and how to effectively communicate its benefits to patients, and it is hoped that this effort will lead to a significant decrease in cervical cancer rates in India.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/apr/01/india-trains-doctors-hpv-vaccine-cervical-cancer