Overview
- AIIMS Delhi has launched a month-long free cervical cancer screening drive during January, underscoring a renewed focus on early detection.
- India recorded about 127,000 new cases and nearly 79,000 deaths in 2022, with a woman dying roughly every eight minutes, according to ICMR–NICPR.
- HPV vaccination can avert most cases when given before exposure, yet India’s Cervavac rollout remains patchy due to misinformation and weak links with adolescent health services.
- NFHS-5 data show low and uneven screening uptake with wide state disparities, with higher coverage in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and single-digit levels in states such as Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Clinicians cite stigma, limited decision-making power for women, low awareness, misconceptions about risk and gaps in referral and follow-up as key drivers of late-stage diagnosis.