Radiant HPV Shield—Protecting India's Daughters from Cervical Cancer

Consider this: Every five minutes, one woman in India dies from cervical cancer; 123,000 women die each year due to cervical cancer, approximately 26% of the global cervical cancer burden. Most cases occur in rural areas, where access to essential healthcare is limited. There are currently very low rates of HPV vaccination in India (1.3% from the NFHS-5 study), and despite the development of a promising HPV vaccine, Cervavac. This exclusion from UIP is heartbreaking. We need to act now by leveraging successful pilots, as those in Sikkim, to bridge this gap and save lives. (1-4)I would like to introduce a new initiative, Radiant HPV Shield, a community-driven plan with seven evidence-based strategies backed by global evidence and real-world Indian successes. Not just ideas- but pathways to a brighter future.