On a mission to make India a HPV-free country

Two women, sharing a passion for road trips and women health advocacy, are leading a 15,000-km-long journey across 38 cities in 15 states to create cervical cancer awareness among people and facilitate free vaccination of young girls on their way.

Advertisement

Meenakshi Aravind, founder of XPD India & Beyond, and Priya Rajpal from the Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, are on a 40-day #4CornerIndiaDrive, a road expedition on four wheels across several cities in north and the duo reached Amritsar on Sunday where they along with the Rotary Club, Civil Lines, Amritsar, administered the HPV vaccine to 60 girls.

Along the arduous 15,000 km road expedition across the country, the women have inspired many like-minded women health activists in their mission of raising awareness about cervical cancer and promoting free HPV vaccination for underprivileged girls. The journey was flagged off from Mumbai and the team will cover the length and breadth of the country to raise awareness about cervical cancer and provide free HPV vaccinations to 1,00,000 underprivileged girls.

“Our campaign features community events, educational sessions, and free HPV vaccination camps in 18 key cities, all aimed at achieving the mission of vaccinating 1,00,000 girls and making an HPV-free India. Cervical cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in India, claiming over 70,000 lives each year. The primary cause — Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — is preventable through early vaccination, which was what we are promoting,” said Meenakshi.

All chapters of Rotary and XPD had launched awareness campaigns and deliver actionable health solutions to protect young girls from this preventable disease.

Noopur Desai, president of the Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, said, “This is Rotary in action. We are driving not just across India’s landscapes but also across hearts and communities to bring life-saving awareness and protection to young girls.”

The drive will touch all four corners of India — from Gular Moti (which they have already covered) in Gujarat to Keran Valley in Kashmir, Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh, and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu — symbolising the team’s commitment to leaving no region untouched in the fight against cervical cancer.

In Amritsar, collaborating with the Rotary Club of Amritsar, Civil Lines, Rotaract Club of Khalsa College, Dr Shagun Randhawa from Randhawa Hospital, vaccinated 60 girls free of cost, followed by a joint car rally through the city to amplify the message. The car rally was led by Laal Pari, an Isuzu SUV, which has now become a symbol of their campaign.

The journey from Amritsar will proceed to Jammu city with a brief halt in Pathankot as the team continues to spread awareness and deliver impact, one city at a time.