SAMBALPUR: Long before HPV vaccination became a nationwide government programme, Dr Sanjeeb Mishra was working to raise awareness about the vaccine and cervical cancer prevention among young women.
The doctor at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, has not stopped since. From vaccinating healthcare workers, his campaign has expanded to schools, slums and communities across Sambalpur. Over the years, Mishra and his team have conducted more than 50 awareness campaigns and helped vaccinate nearly 10,000 beneficiaries.
Mishra’s efforts began in 2021, when he started reaching out to schools in and around Burla in phases. Before approaching schoolchildren, however, he wanted to build a group of beneficiaries who were already informed about HPV vaccination and could help counsel others. Nurses, nursing students and female doctors at VIMSAR were among the first to receive the vaccine.
The team then began visiting schools, where convincing adolescent girls was not easy. “It was hard to convince the girl students in the beginning. The campaign focused on sensitisation, but there was little awareness about the HPV vaccine back then, and they were gripped by apprehensions,” Mishra recalled.
Healthcare workers and medical professionals joined the counselling effort. Some girls eventually agreed to vaccination, following which the team organised drives and provided the vaccine at a subsidised rate.
The campaign continued across Sambalpur, though at a slow pace. A major expansion came in 2025, when Mishra, as secretary of the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Odisha, sought permission from the district administration to extend the awareness programme to schools across the district.
“By then, our team had also grown stronger. We had more members, and we started witnessing growing acceptance, which motivated us and made counselling schoolchildren easier. However, convincing other groups of beneficiaries was still a challenge,” he said.
Mishra and his team also began taking awareness programmes to slum areas, covering not just vaccination but also cervical cancer screening, early symptoms and available treatment options. Vaccine hesitancy, however, remained a challenge.
“As it is related to cancer in women, there was a misconception that taking the vaccine would lead to infertility. Besides, after Covid, many believed vaccines could have side-effects. It took time to clear these misgivings, but we managed,” Mishra said.
Those who remained doubtful were encouraged to approach their nearest primary health centre or gynaecologist to clarify their concerns and access the vaccine at a subsidised rate.
The initiative received a boost after the Centre launched its nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls on February 28 this year. With vaccination now available free of cost through government health facilities, Mishra said the campaign has gained credibility and conversations with families has become easier.
As awareness among students grew, they too began taking the message home, sensitising their mothers and other women in their families about HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. The team also participated in awareness programmes organised at commercial establishments and industrial units employing a significant number of women.
Although the campaign has facilitated nearly 10,000 vaccinations, Mishra believes affordability remains a barrier despite improving awareness. He said his team was in discussions with the vaccine manufacturer to explore the possibility of further reducing the cost.
“While our initiative is expanding gradually, the cost of the vaccine remains a hurdle for many, and this requires further government intervention,” he said, appealing to people to make greater use of government healthcare facilities, including free screening at government hospitals and subsidised vaccines, to prevent cervical cancer or minimise the risk.
The effort comes at a time when cervical cancer is increasingly being recognised as a public health concern. The World Health Organization has set a target of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030. Mishra said he wanted to contribute to making India a cancer-free nation.
Alongside the vaccination campaign, Mishra has been involved in wider efforts to promote cervical cancer prevention. In 2021, he was also part of an initiative by city-based organisation Utkantha to illuminate the historic Samaleswari temple in teal as part of the global cervical cancer elimination awareness movement.
A community medicine specialist, Mishra has also been running a free clinic for people from underprivileged communities in Sakhipara for more than four years.