GREATER NOIDA
In a proactive step to safeguard adolescent girls from cervical cancer, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth ₹89 lakh with the Government of India Mint, Noida, officials informed.
The initiative aims to provide free HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination to 2,500 girls between the ages of 9 and 20. The campaign will be jointly supervised by the district administration and the health department and executed in two phases. The second dose of the vaccine will be administered six months after the first, as per standard medical guidelines.
To be sure, the India Government Mint, Noida is one of four official mints in India responsible for producing coins and related items. Established on July 1, 1988, it is the only mint set up in the country after independence and operates under the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Finance.
Beyond its core functions, the Noida Mint actively engages in community development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. These include organizing health camps, cleanliness drives, educational workshops, and awareness programs on topics like cybercrime and integrity.
The MoU was signed in the presence of district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma at the Collectorate office in Greater Noida.
“Cervical cancer is both preventable and treatable if addressed early. Through this MoU, we aim to ensure that girls in the 9 to 20 age group, especially those from vulnerable sections, receive timely vaccination and protection. This is not just a public health step but a preventive investment in the future of our daughters,” said DM Verma.
To streamline the rollout, additional district magistrate (administration) Manglesh Dubey has been appointed the nodal officer, and district employment officer Manisha Atri will serve as the assistant nodal officer for coordination, officials said.
“The partnership marks a significant step towards enhancing women’s health by focusing on the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to raise awareness, ultimately reducing the disease’s impact on our communities”, said ADM, Dubey.
To ensure a smooth rollout, groundwork is being laid in coordination with schools and health officials.
“In the first phase, we will focus on vaccinating girls from government schools. The campaign, led jointly by the CMO office and a local NGO, is likely to begin in July once schools reopen. However, we are still working on finalising the timeline, as we need to create awareness among students and parents and gather school-wise data. The Quadrivalent HPV vaccine will be used for immunisation”, said district employment officer, who is also assistant nodal officer for the campaign, Manisha Atri.
Also present during the signing were social welfare officer Satish Kumar, joint general manager Prakash Kumar, deputy general manager Renu Bhasin, and other officials from the Mint.
“We are proud to support this cause as part of our corporate social responsibility. Awareness and access to the HPV vaccine is a major step in preventing cancer-related mortality among women”, said DP Tiwari, chief general manager of the Government of India Mint, Noida.
In April this year, an event was held at Panchsheel Balak Inter College, Sector 91, under the aegis of the Akanksha Samiti, a registered NGO and the development arm of the Indian Administrative Officers’ Wives Association of UP, which works to empower underprivileged women and children through initiatives in education, health, and skill development, wherein, a large-scale HPV vaccination campaign for school going girls in Gautam Budh Nagar was organised. As many as 506 students, aged nine years or more, received the vaccine along with health kits.