In this case study analysis, Njogu and colleagues examine how health care workers in Kenya, India, and Nigeria have communicated to promote HPV vaccine uptake at different stages of national rollout. In Kenya, a multisectoral approach and myth-busting training proved critical; in Sikkim (India), intensive social mobilization and cascade training underpinned a successful subnational introduction; […]
Region: South Asia
Case studies on the progress of cervical cancer screening programs in Bhutan, India, and Türkiye
In this case series, Burdier and colleagues describe the contrasting progress of cervical cancer screening programmes in Bhutan, India, and Türkiye, drawing on presentations from the CHIC South Asia Symposium (New Delhi, 2022). India, despite national VIA-based guidelines since 2016, reports only 1.9% ever-screened coverage among women aged 30–49, constrained by infrastructure gaps and absent […]
Regional overview: Cervical cancer epidemiology and HPV vaccination progress; SEARO regional overview
HPV vaccination in the WHO South-East Asia Region covers eight of eleven countries, with seven implementing nationwide programs and a growing shift toward single-dose schedules for efficiency. Despite Bhutan’s consistently high coverage and recent scale-ups in Indonesia and Myanmar, regional coverage remains well below the 90% target, with significant gaps in India and Nepal. Constraints […]
Inaugural Speech
The HPV South Asia Meeting, held in December 2022 in New Delhi, opened with warm welcomes from Prof. Narendra Kumar Arora (INCLEN, Delhi) and Prof. Alex Vorsters (University of Antwerp), representing the CHIC SPC and the HPV Prevention and Control Board.Prof. Neerja Bhatla (AIIMS, New Delhi) and Dr. Prashant Mathur (NCDIR-ICMR, Bengaluru) delivered the opening […]
Welcome Note – Day 3
The session reviewed South Asia’s HPV vaccination efforts within the WHO 90-70-90 strategy, noting five countries with national programs and two with subnational rollouts. Lessons from Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan highlighted integration with adolescent health schemes, training, and media engagement. Challenges included vaccine supply, funding, and sociocultural barriers, particularly consent and awareness. WHO updates […]
Welcome Note – Day 2
The summary covered topics from the first day of the symposium, focusing on the regional HPV cancer burden and highlighting inequities in incidence, outcomes, and risk factors across South Asia. Cervical cancer was framed as both a medical and social disease closely linked to poverty, with challenges such as late detection, economic strain on families, […]
Data reporting and collection mechanism for HPV vaccination program and the research gaps to improve health information system- Sikkim State, India
Sikkim, a small northeastern state with ~700,000 population, faces high cervical cancer burden (10% of female cancers) and limited oncology infrastructure. It became India’s first state to introduce statewide HPV vaccination (2018), funded entirely from the state budget. Coverage achieved was 96% (dose 1) and 94% (dose 2) during the initial campaign, later integrated into […]
Single dose HPV vaccine trials in India
The India IARC trial evaluated HPV vaccination regimens among 20,000 girls aged 10–18. Initially designed to compare two- versus three-dose schedules, program suspension led to observational analysis of one-, two-, and three-dose cohorts. Over 10 years, single-dose recipients demonstrated robust, sustained immune responses against HPV 16/18, with stable antibody levels and comparable efficacy to multi-dose […]
Cancer registries – data collection, challenges and steps to strengthen registries and improve cervical cancer data collection – India
Dr. Prashant Mathur (India) presented cancer registry data from India, highlighting trends in HPV-related cancers and the challenges of incomplete national coverage. He emphasized the rising burden of cervical cancer in specific high‑incidence states and the need to strengthen population‑based registries for accurate monitoring. The presentation underscored gaps in mortality reporting and disparities between urban […]
Cancer registries – data collection, challenges and steps to strengthen registries and improve cervical cancer data collection – Nepal
Dr. Pradip Gyanwali (Nepal) outlined Nepal’s cancer registry system, covering only 21% of the population through hospital‑ and population‑based networks. Cervical cancer ranks second among women, with screening uptake at just 16% and higher incidence in rural areas. Major challenges include fragmented reporting, lack of electronic records, and limited funding. He recommended digitization, nationwide registry […]