Programme launched to vaccinate adolescent girls against cervical cancer 

The first phase of the drive was launched in Bengaluru on Wednesday by actor Sruthi Hariharan in the presence of obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Padmini Prasad. Girls in the age group of 9-14 years will be vaccinated in Bengaluru and Chennai as part of this collaboration in multiple phases. 

As part of efforts to fight cervical cancer and support women’s healthcare in India, Tekion, the innovator of the first cloud-native platform serving the automotive retail ecosystem, has partnered with Jivika Foundation to vaccinate 500 adolescent girls from economically weaker sections of society against cervical cancer. 

The first phase of the drive was launched in Bengaluru on Wednesday by actor Sruthi Hariharan in the presence of obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Padmini Prasad. Girls in the age group of 9-14 years will be vaccinated in Bengaluru and Chennai as part of this collaboration in multiple phases. 

“At Tekion, we are committed to supporting vital social causes through Tekion For Good, our Corporate Social Responsibility programme (CSR),” said Rana Robillard, Chief People Officer, Tekion.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women globally and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Indian women. According to the ICMR – National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, India accounts for a disproportionately high number of cervical cancer cases and fatalities, with approximately 1,23,000 new diagnoses and 67,500 deaths annually, said a release.

This translates to an age-standardized incidence rate of 14.7 per 1,00,000 women and a mortality rate of 9.2 per 100,000 women, significantly exceeding the WHO’s target incidence rate of below 4 per 100,000 women for cervical cancer elimination, the release said. 

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is said to be effective when administered before exposure to the virus, making vaccination of girls aged 9-14 years crucial. The WHO recommends this age group as the primary target for HPV vaccination, states the release 

Jignesh Patel, Founder & CEO of Jivika Foundation observed that HPV infection is a growing health crisis for women in India, and early intervention is essential.  “India accounts for nearly one-fourth of the world’s cervical cancer deaths. Yet, millions of marginalized girls remain unprotected. But this isn’t just a statistic - it’s a call to action. Healthcare is not a privilege; it’s a right,” he said.