India faces a staggering cervical cancer burden, claiming over 75,000 lives annually and ranking as the second-leading cancer killer among women, per WHO data. At the nation's first National Summit on Cervical Cancer Elimination, hosted by AIIMS's Departments of Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Onco-Anaesthesia & Palliative Medicine, top officials outlined a multi-pronged assault. Held in New Delhi, the event united 500+ experts from AIIMS, state health departments, WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, and industry to forge a unified roadmap.
Government's Ironclad Commitment
Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and NHM Managing Director, affirmed cervical cancer elimination as a public health priority. "We're accelerating HPV vaccination nationwide, prioritizing high-performance HPV DNA testing over outdated Pap smears for 90%+ accuracy," she stated. The strategy emphasizes prevention (vaccines for girls 9-14), scalable screening via self-sampling kits, and treatment hubs—targeting 90% coverage by 2030 per WHO's global call.
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Current stats underscore urgency: 123,000 new cases yearly, disproportionately hitting rural low-income groups due to limited screening (under 5% uptake). NHM plans ₹5,000 crore infusion for 1 crore vaccinations and 10 crore screenings by 2027.
NITI Aayog's Scalability Push
Prof Dr V.K. Paul stressed "speed, scale, and systems": Pilot HPV DNA self-sampling at 1,000+ Ayushman Bharat centers, integrating AI-driven triage for colposcopy referrals. "Evidence-based models will ensure seamless care—from ASHA workers to tertiary hospitals," he noted. Hub-and-spoke models link district facilities to AIIMS-like hubs, slashing mortality via VIA (visual inspection) upgrades to DNA tests (sensitivity: 95% vs. 70%).
Summit's Action Pillars
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HPV Vaccination Scale-Up: Free quadrivalent vaccines (Gardasil/Serum Institute's Cervavac) for 30 million girls annually; boys included for herd immunity.
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DNA-Based Screening Revolution: Self-collected samples detect high-risk HPV strains (16/18 cause 70% cases); results in 48 hours via portable labs.
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Treatment & Follow-Up: Uniform SOPs for cryotherapy, LEEP, and brachytherapy; palliative integration reduces suffering.
Dr Abhishek Shankar highlighted collaboration: "No silos—government, clinicians, and innovators unite for accountability." The National Call to Action mandates state dashboards, training 50,000 ANMs, and public awareness via UPSC-like campaigns.
Challenges and Global Context
Barriers include vaccine hesitancy (myths debunked via ICMR trials showing 97% efficacy), rural access, and supply chains. India joins 194 nations in WHO's 90-70-90 targets: 90% vaccinated, 70% screened, 90% treated by 2030. Success stories like Bhutan's 80% drop post-vax inform India's path.
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