Although Karnataka had announced a dedicated Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive last year for girls in mining-affected districts, the programme could not take off as planned due to delays in vaccine procurement. Now, with the Union government rolling out a nationwide HPV immunisation initiative, the State is set to begin implementation under the national framework.
The State government had issued a Government Order on August 9 last year, following an announcement in the 2025–26 Budget, to administer two doses of the HPV vaccine to girls aged 9 to 14 in mining-affected districts as a preventive measure against cervical cancer. The initial phase was to cover eight taluks across four mining-affected districts - Gubbi, Chikkanayakanahalli and Tiptur in Tumakuru; Sandur in Ballari; Holalkere, Hosadurga and Molakalmuru in Chitradurga; and Hosapete in Vijayanagara.
KMERC grant
A grant of ₹4.74 crore had been sanctioned through the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC), with each dose costing ₹1,260. Officials said extensive groundwork had been completed, and 37,470 eligible BPL beneficiaries — students in government and aided schools as well as out-of-school girls — had been identified.
