India develops indigenous cervical cancer vaccine to save millions of lives

Less than 10 percent of women in India get screened for cervical cancer, which the WHO says has killed more than 4 million women since 2019. AFP PHOTO / SANJAY KANOJIA

India's homegrown cervical cancer shot, announced on Thursday, will be made available first to the country's poorest before being exported to other countries in need.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.1 million women have died of cervical cancer since 2019 in India, where it's the second most frequent cancer among women aged between 15 and 44.