The recent launch of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine programme by the Prime Minister in Ajmer is a cherished milestone in India’s public health approach to cervical cancer prevention.

India has a long history of eradicating and eliminating serious disease burdens through well-planned and well-executed campaigns. From the eradication of smallpox in the 1950s to the more recent Pulse Polio drives, these campaigns were designed for success. That same discipline and public trust will now determine the success of HPV vaccination.

The Indian Cancer Society has long been concerned about the devastation caused by cervical cancer. The statistics on files represent real women to the Society. Families fall apart with the death of a mother. We are aware of the pain women bear silently. Most women are taken to treatment centres only when the disease has progressed beyond cure.

Women do not speak easily about pain in their private parts. When “visual inspection” is recommended because it is inexpensive, we feel it compromises a woman’s dignity. When better and more scientific tests such as the Pap smear were known since the 1950s to have transformed screening, diagnosis, and outcomes in Europe and America, why did we continue........

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