Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer
Human Papillomavirus is a group of over 200 related viruses, of which high-risk types — primarily HPV 16 and HPV 18 — are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases in India. HPV is transmitted through sexual contact, and persistent infection with high-risk types drives carcinogenesis by producing viral oncoproteins E6 and E7, which disrupt host tumour suppressor proteins p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Cervical cancer begins as a precancerous lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN) that progresses over years to invasive cancer.
- India records nearly 80,000 new cervical cancer cases annually and over 42,000 deaths — one death every 8 minutes.
- India accounts for approximately one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden.
- HPV 16 alone accounts for 57.5% of cervical cancers in India; HPV 18 accounts for a further 10.4%.
- The vaccine used in India's programme is Gardasil-4 (quadrivalent), which targets HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
- WHO efficacy data: HPV vaccines demonstrate 93–100% efficacy in preventing cervical cancer from vaccine-covered HPV types.
● Tracked since February 17, 2026 · last seen June 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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