There is a quiet irony in marking the International Day of Action for Women’s Health with a conversation about cervical cancer because cervical cancer does not wait for womanhood. A girl may first encounter human papillomavirus (HPV) as an adolescent, when she is still navigating menstrual disorders dismissed as drama or mental health crises dismissed as hormones. Through her reproductive years, as the world piles on further neglect, it continues its slow, almost imperceptible work. By the time the disease is diagnosed, it has often had decades to act.
The fourth most common cancer in women globally, cervical cancer caused around 660,000 cases and 350,000 deaths in 2022. With 120,000 cases and 80,000 deaths, India accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s deaths. A new case is diagnosed every four minutes, and a woman dies approximately every seven minutes from cervical cancer in India.
These numbers reflect a deeper reality: One of a historic lack of access to prevention tools and low awareness levels. In many communities, women seek care only when symptoms become difficult to ignore. By this point, the cancer is typically at an advanced stage, when treatment options are significantly reduced. However, today we are on the cusp of a transition from a public health model characterised by late-stage treatment to one based on prevention.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 200 related viruses. While almost all sexually active people are infected with HPV over the course of their lives, the immune system clears the virus naturally in most cases. Persistent infection with a few specific strains of HPV can cause abnormal cells that may develop into cancer. HPV vaccination of girls before they reach the age of sexual activity has been shown to be effective at preventing cervical cancer.
In February 2026, the Government of India launched a nationwide HPV vaccination programme. The programme aims to provide free HPV vaccination to approximately 1.15 crore girls aged 14 years across all states and union territories. This is an important primary prevention milestone that has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of disease, not just in India but also globally.
However, for India’s goal of cancer elimination to be met, vaccination must be complemented by ramping up cervical cancer screening. While vaccines protect the future generation, screening protects women who are at risk today: those not covered by the vaccination programme, and particularly from the age of 30.
Such a complementary focus would be entirely in line with WHO’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, which calls for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15, 70% of women to be screened by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or invasive cancer to receive appropriate treatment.
Traditionally, cervical cancer screening has relied on pap smears and visual inspection with acetic acid. While both these methods have contributed meaningfully to cancer prevention, molecular screening through PCR-based methods offers a more accurate screening option. Additionally, it identifies risks earlier, even before cellular abnormalities are visible. WHO has recommended HPV DNA-based testing as the preferred screening method over visual inspection or cytology because it is more objective, simpler, and more effective in preventing pre-cancers and cancers.
The advantage of PCR-based molecular testing for HPV is not only accuracy. It also reduces dependence on subjective interpretation. Visual inspection requires trained eyes. Cytology requires trained professionals and well-functioning laboratory systems. While traditionally PCR technology has required specialised labs and multi-hour workflows, recent breakthroughs have made it possible for this technology to be deployed at the last mile and deliver results in an hour.
Thus, portable PCR-based testing can support wider screening programmes to flatten the cervical cancer curve.
India’s nationwide HPV vaccination programme is a landmark achievement. But for the millions of women beyond its reach who are exposed to the virus, screening is of paramount importance. Indigenously developed portable PCR platforms carry the promise of bringing gold-standard screening to women wherever they are located, whether in a metropolis or in the heartland.
For India to honour its commitment to cervical cancer elimination, vaccination and screening must advance together, as two legs of the same mission. The infrastructure, the political will, and now the tools exist. What remains is the resolve to deploy them — at scale, without delay, and with every woman in mind.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Dr Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva, president and chief medical officer, Partnerships and Advocacy, Molbio Diagnostics.
