Cancer is one of the leading causes of adult deaths worldwide. Every year about 14 million new cancer cases are detected and 8 million people die of cancer. It is the one of the leading cause of cancer mortality, accounting for 17% of all cancer deaths among women aged between 30 and 69 years. It is estimated that cervical cancer will occur in approximately 1 in 53 Indian women during their lifetime compared with 1 in 100 women in more developed regions of the world.

HPV vaccine has proven to provide safety against Human Papilloma Virus that causes Cervical Cancer. Jivika has partnered with Give and Danaher Foundation for organizing HPV vaccination drive for the underprivileged girls of 9 to 14 years of age in the major metro cities- Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Delhi.

One of our HPV vaccination drive was organized in Pen Nagar Parishad Primary School, Mahadikwadi, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. One of our beneficiary was 10 years old, Ms. Laxmi Ashok Pawar who came with her father Mr. Ashok Pawar to get vaccinated. Laxmi’s parents work as construction workers. They migrated from Gujrat about 40 years back. Laxmi’s father tells that he wasn’t aware about the HPV vaccination until the awareness campaign was organized by Jivika in Laxmi’s school. He is happy that after getting vaccinated his daughter is safe from life threatening Cervical Cancer.

Like Laxmi, we are ensuring safety against Cervical Cancer to girls from low-income families. We are grateful to our partners for supporting us in this novel initiative of ensuring equitable access of HPV vaccination.