DTFI reviews HPV vaccination scenario

The meeting of Dimapur District Task Force on Immunization (DTFI) convened at the DC Conference Hall on Friday to review the global and national scenario of cervical cancer and the importance of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination ahead of the district-wide campaign.
According to DIPR report, Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, Dr. Tinojongshi Chang, who chaired the meeting, thanked members and stakeholders for their participation and urged departments and partners to actively disseminate information to ensure maximum coverage of eligible beneficiaries.
R. Khartu Monsang, Regional Project Officer, UNDP, presented a detailed overview of the global status of HPV vaccine introduction.
According to WHO, 155 out of 194 countries have included HPV vaccination in their national immunization programmes, with nine of eleven countries in the South-East Asia Region having rolled out the vaccine.
The presentation also highlighted the global burden of cervical cancer. As per Globocan 2022, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with an estimated 6,62,300 new cases and 3,48,874 deaths in 2022. Officials explained that nearly 99.7% of cervical cancer cases are linked to persistent infection with high-risk HPV types.
The meeting discussed WHO’s global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, which aims to achieve the 90-70-90 targets: 90% of girls fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women screened with high-performance tests, and 90% of women diagnosed receiving treatment.
Highlighting the Indian scenario, NCRP-ICMR (2022) data shows cervical cancer is the second leading cancer among women in the country, with 79,103 new cases and 34,805 deaths recorded in 2022.
Dr. Rongsennungla, District Programme Officer (UIP & RCH), CMO Office Dimapur, briefed on the district campaign, which will target girls aged 14 years.
The three-month campaign will be implemented at designated Cold Chain Points (CCPs) beginning March 2, 2026. The vaccine to be administered is Gardasil (quadrivalent), covering HPV serotypes 6, 11, 16 and 18, with strict cold chain management.
The nationwide HPV Vaccination Campaign for all 14-year-old girls will be launched on February 28, 2026, by the Prime Minister of India from Ajmer, Rajasthan.