The Maharashtra Public Health Department launched a statewide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for adolescent girls on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026. The initiative aims to protect young girls from cervical cancer and improve women’s health across the state. (the health expert)
The campaign was inaugurated in Mumbai by Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre. Under this programme, the state government plans to vaccinate around 9.84 lakh girls aged between 14 and 15 years within a period of three months.
The vaccination drive focuses on preventing infections caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is one of the major causes of cervical cancer. Health experts say that HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for nearly 70% of cervical cancer cases worldwide, and early vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease.
To implement the campaign effectively, the state government has procured nearly 9.47 lakh doses of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4, a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against four strains of the virus. Vaccines will be administered through government healthcare facilities, including primary health centres, district hospitals, rural hospitals, municipal hospitals, and government medical colleges across the state.
Beneficiaries will be registered digitally through the central government’s U-WIN immunisation portal, which will also generate vaccination certificates and maintain records. Health officials said the campaign will later be integrated into the routine immunisation programme to ensure continued protection for adolescent girls in the future.
Speaking at the launch event, officials emphasized that women often prioritize family and work responsibilities over their own health. The vaccination campaign aims to raise awareness about preventive healthcare and encourage families to ensure that girls receive the vaccine at the recommended age.
Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and more than 42,000 deaths reported each year. Authorities believe that large-scale HPV vaccination programmes can play a crucial role in reducing the disease burden and improving women’s health outcomes across the country.