Jaipur, 11th September 2026: The Government of Rajasthan today launched ‘Teeka Talk’, an initiative in collaboration with Girl Effect India to strengthen awareness and engagement around Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination across the state.

The initiative was launched during a state-level meeting chaired by Dr. Madhu Rateshwar, Director, RCH, Government of Rajasthan. The meeting brought together 60 stakeholders from the Health, Education and Women and Child Development (WCD) departments to strengthen coordination and community engagement around HPV vaccination.

The Government of Rajasthan is taking an important step to safeguard the health of its daughters by providing free HPV vaccination to girls aged 14–15 years at government health facilities. HPV vaccination, like other important childhood and adolescent vaccinations, can help prevent the HPV infections that cause most cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, with 78,499 women diagnosed and 42,392 lives lost (NCRP–ICMR, 2024). Vaccinating girls at the recommended age offers an important opportunity to protect them from cervical cancer later in life.

Teeka Talk strengthens this effort by enabling informed conversations on HPV vaccination across schools, communities and families. Its Teeka Talk -WhatsApp based chatbot provides parents, clear, credible information and answers to common questions about HPV vaccination and cervical cancer.

At the launch, Dr. Madhu Rateshwar, Director, RCH, Government of Rajasthan, said: “The Prime Minister has started this important campaign from Rajasthan, and this gives us an opportunity to lead from the front and set an example.Rajasthan is committed to ensuring that every eligible adolescent girl and her family has access to the information and support they need to make informed decisions about HPV vaccination. This requires coordinated efforts across Health, Education and Women and Child Development departments, as well as strong engagement with schools and communities. Our collaboration with Girl Effect India through Teeka Talk will help strengthen these efforts and bring reliable information closer to families across the state.”

Dr. Raghuraj Singh, Project Director-Immunization, National Health Mission, Government of Rajasthan, said: “Cervical cancer continues to claim thousands of women’s lives in India. Today, we have a vaccine that can help prevent the HPV infections that cause most cervical cancers. We urge parents to vaccinate their 14-year-old daughters immediately and give them the protection that HPV vaccination can provide. Just as parents ensure their children receive other important vaccinations, HPV vaccination at the recommended age is an important step towards protecting girls from cervical cancer in the future.”

Ms. Kavita Ayyagari, Country Director, Girl Effect India, said: “For parents, a new vaccine can naturally bring questions about its safety, benefits and whether their daughter needs it. Teeka Talk is designed to make it easier for families to find clear and trustworthy answers—through schools, communities, parent engagement and digital platforms. By addressing questions in a language and format that families understand, we want to help parents feel informed and confident about HPV vaccination.”

The Rajasthan launch marks a step forward in strengthening coordinated communication and engagement around HPV vaccination. Perspectives from Jaipur, Dausa and Kotputli districts informed the discussions on implementation, while representatives from the Health, Education and WCD departments discussed opportunities to strengthen outreach across communities.

The next phase will focus on coordinated implementation across departments and districts, with a focus on school, parent and community engagement and ensuring that eligible adolescent girls and their families can access trusted information about HPV vaccination.