Tamil Nadu: Free HPV vaccine drive to begin in 4 high-risk districts in Jan

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will launch a free HPV vaccination drive for girls aged 9-14 years next month in Ariyalur, Perambalur, Dharmapuri and Tiruvannamalai, where cervical cancer prevalence is significantly higher, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the World AIDS Day 2025 awareness programme organised at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Estate, he said that CM Stalin would inaugurate the initiative.

“Introduced in India for the first time as a fully free State-funded programme, around 3.38 lakh girls are expected to benefit in the first phase,” he added. “India’s HIV prevalence stands at 0.23%, while TN’s average is 0.16%. Our goal is to bring this down to zero by 2030. Tamil Nadu remains a pioneer in prevention, testing and treatment.”

The State operates 2,600 HIV testing centres and 172 ART service centres, ensuring universal screening for pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission. He recalled that the TN Trust for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (TNTCAA), created in 2009 with an initial corpus of Rs 5 crore, has now grown to Rs 25 crore. “The CM has been providing Rs 1,000 per month for nutrition and education support to 7,618 HIV-affected children over the past six months,” he pointed out.

Mayor R Priya and Health Secretary P Senthilkumar also addressed the gathering, emphasising the need to dismantle stigma against people living with HIV.