A Systematic Review of Vaccination, Prevention, and Public Health Measures for the Human Papillomavirus Epidemic Among Patients in India

Nearly 70% of the population will be infected with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives; in India, 27,526 women are diagnosed with the virus each year, and 79,906 lose their lives to it. Research has linked HPV to several malignancies; among Indian women, cervical cancer is the most common HPV-related malignancy. Cervical cancer is still a major public health concern, especially in LMICs like India, even though there are ways to avoid it, such as HPV vaccination and screening. Adolescents and young adults in India have low vaccine awareness and uptake, according to this study that examines the epidemiology, prevention, and obstacles to HPV vaccination in the country. We systematically reviewed all relevant literature on HPV prevalence, vaccination coverage, and preventive policies in India by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate. Out of 38 papers that were found, 10 were deemed suitable for inclusion in the complete review. HPV prevalence ranged from 14.7% in Iran to 37 percent in India, according to the results. About 14,089 new instances of cervical cancer are reported annually in India, making it the second most frequent malignancy among women. Although the HPV vaccination is available, just 13.7% of women in the age bracket have gotten a shot. Cost, cultural bias, a lack of knowledge, and an inadequate public health infrastructure were some of the obstacles we uncovered. Public education of the dangers of HPV should be a priority in public health policy. Affordable or free HPV vaccinations, immunization programs in schools, and awareness campaigns throughout the country should all be part of this. Reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates would be another major goal of the national immunization program if HPV vaccination were included.