Maharashtra government’s Public Health Department, on International Women’s Day, will launch several key initiatives. Various initiatives, including HPV vaccination on March 8, will aim at strengthening women’s empowerment and health protection across the state.
Among the major initiatives is the launch of a statewide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls.
More than 9.8 lakh girls to be vaccinated across Maharashtra
The programme will focus on girls who have completed 14 years but have not yet turned 15.
Under the campaign, they will receive a free dose of the vaccine “Gardasil-4”. As per the official statement, around 984,414 girls across Maharashtra are expected to benefit from the drive. The vaccination will be voluntary and administered only after obtaining parental consent.
The state-level event will be organised under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar.
Union Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav will also be present at the programme.
The initiatives are being implemented under the leadership of public health and family welfare minister Prakash Abitkar and minister of state Meghna Sakore-Bordikar. The event will take place on March 8, 2026, at 3 pm at the Main Auditorium of Yashwantrao Chavan Centre.
Statewide HPV vaccination campaign
The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Campaign is being launched to reduce the burden of cervical cancer among women. Health officials said the vaccine protects against high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for a large proportion of cervical cancer cases.
Cervical cancer stands as the second most common type of cancer
Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths reported annually. Authorities believe that early vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of the disease.
The campaign will be conducted as a special three-month drive across the state and will later be integrated into the routine immunisation programme. Vaccinations will be administered by trained medical officers at primary health centres, rural hospitals, district hospitals, municipal hospitals and government medical colleges.
Registration of beneficiaries and issuance of vaccination certificates will be done through the central government’s digital immunisation portal U-WIN.
Women health professionals to be honoured
Apart from the vaccination drive, officials further asserted that the Public Health Department will also organise a felicitation ceremony where women who have made outstanding contributions to the public health sector will be honoured.
Officials also highlighted that the initiative aims to promote awareness about women’s empowerment, gender equality and health rights, while encouraging more women to contribute to the public health sector.
