On July 9, 2009, the Andhra Pradesh Minister for Health and Family Welfare in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and PATH International launched what it described as a ‘demonstration project’ for vaccination against cervical cancer. The vaccine, against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), was administered to 14,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 in three mandals – Bhadrachalam, Kothagudem and Thirumalayapalem – of Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh (Now Telangana). This report takes account of the findings of the study undertaken by Sama along with Jan Swasthya Abhiyan and Anthra in Bhadrachalam, one of the areas in Andhra Pradesh (Now Telangana), in March 2010 to see the impact of the HPV vaccine on girls between 9-13 years.
