Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced that more than 3.36 lakh girls aged between 14 and 15 years across Odisha will be covered under a state-wide vaccination drive aimed at preventing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The Chief Minister made the announcement while inaugurating the state-level rollout of the programme, following its formal launch by Narendra Modi in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Calling the initiative a major step toward women’s health and empowerment, Majhi said the campaign is not merely a routine immunisation effort but a focused intervention to safeguard adolescent girls from future cancer risks. The vaccination drive will be conducted over a period of three months.
In the first phase, the HPV vaccine will be administered at community health centres (CHCs), sub-divisional hospitals and district headquarters hospitals. From the second month onward, the programme will expand to include primary health centres (PHCs) to ensure wider accessibility. The vaccine will be provided entirely free of cost.
Highlighting the government’s broader commitment to cancer care, the Chief Minister said the “Chief Minister’s Cancer Treatment Programme” has been announced in the 2026–27 state budget. The programme aims to strengthen early detection and timely treatment through mass awareness campaigns, village-level screening and mobile medical camps.
He further informed that 121 cancer treatment packages are being specially designed for Odisha under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the state-run Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana to make advanced care more accessible and affordable.
On the occasion, Majhi also dedicated 28 new 108 ambulances to reinforce the state’s emergency healthcare services. With this addition, the total number of newly inducted ambulances has reached 428, including 400 ambulances deployed earlier in two phases. The state government has invested ₹111 crore from its own resources to strengthen the emergency response system, he said.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling noted that while the market price of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention is around ₹4,000 per dose, the central government has ensured it is made available free of cost to eligible girls under the national initiative.
The vaccination campaign is expected to significantly reduce the long-term incidence of cervical cancer in the state and marks a major step in strengthening preventive healthcare for women in Odisha.
