In a landmark step toward tackling one of the country’s most preventable yet deadly cancers, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has convened India’s first National Summit on the Elimination of Cervical Cancer. The three-day gathering, held in January 2026, marked a decisive shift from policy intent to coordinated action, firmly placing cervical cancer elimination at the center of India’s public health priorities.
The summit brought together a powerful coalition, officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Mission (NHM), NITI Aayog, state health departments, leading cancer institutions, global agencies, clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, technology partners, and the media, underscoring a shared resolve to accelerate progress nationwide.
From Vision To Implementation: The Three Pillars Of Elimination
Organised by AIIMS’ Departments of Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Onco-Anaesthesia & Palliative Medicine at DRBRAIRCH, the summit focused squarely on three interconnected pillars critical to elimination:
Prevention Through HPV vaccination
Early detection via high-performance HPV DNA–based screening, including self-sampling
Timely and equitable treatment, supported by streamlined national care pathways
Discussions centred on moving beyond fragmented efforts toward a unified, end-to-end approach that ensures women are not lost between screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
Government Reaffirms Commitment To A Preventable Goal
Opening the summit, Ms. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director, NHM, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, reiterated the Government of India’s firm commitment to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.
She emphasised the urgency of expanding HPV vaccination and strengthening screening at every level of the health system, particularly through HPV DNA testing. With clearer operational protocols, stronger systems, and sustained partnerships across states, she noted, India can protect millions of women from a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
Evidence, Scale, And Speed: The Road Ahead
Highlighting the need for implementation models grounded in evidence, Prof. (Dr.) V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, called for rapid pilot projects to demonstrate how HPV DNA screening and self-sampling can work at scale, especially within primary healthcare settings.
Such pilots, he stressed, will be crucial in shaping a national framework that delivers accurate diagnostics, timely follow-up, and seamless care to women across geographies.
Adding to the policy perspective, Shri Vijay Nehra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, outlined the government’s broader roadmap to strengthen cancer care delivery and reduce regional disparities in access to treatment.
Breaking Silos In Cancer Care
For clinicians on the frontlines, the message was clear: cervical cancer cannot be addressed in isolation. Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, AIIMS, highlighted the importance of bringing government, healthcare providers, innovators, and patient advocates to the same table.
The summit, he noted, is designed to translate dialogue into actionable recommendations that can guide India’s national roadmap toward elimination.
Why The Urgency Matters
Cervical cancer continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year, despite being one of the most preventable forms of cancer. In India, screening coverage remains far below global benchmarks, leaving millions of women vulnerable to late diagnosis and avoidable deaths.
The summit aligned India’s strategy with the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 targets, calling for high vaccination coverage, widespread screening among women in midlife, and comprehensive treatment for those diagnosed. Achieving these benchmarks, experts agreed, is not just a health imperative but a moral one.
Technology, Trust, And Access
Representing the diagnostics sector, Mr. Vaibhav Kohli, Head – Marketing, Access & Commercial Excellence, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighbouring Markets, underscored the role of accurate, accessible screening tools in closing detection gaps, particularly for women in remote and underserved areas.
The summit also spotlighted the need for national standard operating procedures, hub-and-spoke care models, and stronger referral systems to ensure quality and continuity of care from the first test to treatment completion.
A Collective Call To Action
With participation from more than 500 stakeholders, including representatives from AIIMS campuses nationwide, WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, civil society organisations, and industry partners, the summit concluded with a National Call to Action. The roadmap prioritises pilot projects for HPV DNA screening and self-sampling, expanded vaccination coverage, and integrated care pathways that leave no woman behind.
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