India's first point-of-care HPV test that can be deployed at point-of-need in the Global South
In April 2025, India's first ever indigenously developed RT-PCR molecular test for HPV on Truenat (called HPV-HR Plus) got an independent multi-centric validation done by Government of India's Department of Biotechnology, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Grand Challenges India. Truenat HPV-HR Plus test is made by Molbio Diagnostics in India.
This independent validation of Truenat HPV-HR Plus was conducted under the study "Validating Indigenous Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Tests for Cervical Cancer Screening in India." The study involved leading Indian government's research institutes, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, ICMR National Institute for Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) Noida, and ICMR National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH) Mumbai, in collaboration with WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
There are over 200 genotypes of HPV but those that put the infected person at risk of developing cervical cancer are few. Truenat HPV-HR Plus molecular test enables detection for 8 HPV high-risk genotypes - which account for over 96% cervical cancer cases worldwide. These HPV high-risk genotypes include 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52 and 58. Out of these, 16 and 18 high-risk genotypes dominate globally as 77% of invasive cervical cancer cases are associated with them. These high-risk genotypes can also cause cancer of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, and oropharynx (throat).
Raising cervical cancer awareness and health literacy among people with HIV
As women living with HIV are 6 times more at risk of cervical cancer, communities and networks of people with HIV must come forward to find ways to integrate cervical cancer screening as well as for other cancers (such as breast cancer) programmatically and in people-centred manner, said Daxa Patel, co-founder of National Coalition of People living with HIV in India (NCPI Plus) and its former President.
Agrees Pooja Mishra, Secretary of NCPI Plus that it is unacceptable when cervical cancer, which is preventable and curable - and the only cancer which can be eliminated - still kills 350,000 women worldwide. We also need to raise awareness, health and treatment literacy among the young people, said Mishra.
That is why NCPI Plus took leadership in organising a national dialogue and stakeholder consultation on preventing cancers among people with HIV, especially women.
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