The test kits have been developed under the Department of Biotechnology’s (DBT) partnership programme Grand Challenges India (GCI) at the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
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Indigenously developed (Human papillomavirus) HPV test kits for cervical cancer screening were launched on Wednesday (April 23, 2025).

The test kits have been developed under the Department of Biotechnology’s (DBT) partnership programme Grand Challenges India (GCI) at the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

The DBT supported research coordinated by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, with testing done at laboratories at AIIMS, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), Noida; and the National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH), Mumbai, in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

“The key feature of these kits is the inclusion of only the seven-eight most common cancer-causing types that will allow a very efficient and cost-effective screening programme which will be most suitable for India,” Dr Neerja Bhatla, former head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AIIMS, Delhi and chief coordinator of the programme said.

The study titled ‘Validation of Indigenous Human Papillomavirus Tests for Cervical Cancer Screening in India (i-HPV)’ validated indigenously developed, rapid, point-of-care, RTPCR-based HPV diagnostic test kits for screening cervical cancer in premier research and development laboratories of India.

“Given the enhancement of RTPCR-based diagnostic facilities across the nation in the post-COVID era, the introduction of sensitive RTPCR-based HPV testing kits might prove to be cost effective screening method over classical HPV DNA and Pap smear for deployment in the national cancer screening programme,” Dr Bhatla said.

Cancer of the uterine cervix is the second most common cancer among Indian women. According to WHO data, one out of every five women in the world suffering from the disease is an Indian, Dr Bhatla stated.

Besides the high incidence of cervical cancer owing to its late diagnosis and with consequent poor survival, 25% of global mortality due to cervical cancer occurs in India, she said.

Thus, there has been a pressing need for the development of control strategies for the prevention and screening of cervical cancer. The currently available methods of screening of cervical cancer include Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), Papanicolaou test (Pap test or Pap smear) and HPV DNA testing, she stated.

Regular population screening by Pap smears has been successfully implemented in the developed world. Nevertheless, it is costly, resource-intensive and only moderately sensitive. VIA screening requires considerable training and re-training for quality assurance and has high false positivity rates with programmatic challenges, she said.

HPV testing has the best diagnostic accuracy if it conforms to international standards of validation. As part of the Global Declaration for Cervical Cancer Elimination, WHO recommends a transition to HPV testing in all countries, whereby only two tests in a lifetime, at age 35 and again by age 45 years, will be sufficient. The target is to set up processes to screen 70% of eligible women by 2030, Dr. Bhatla stated.

The study introduced, a school-based, culturally adapted dance program aimed at reducing risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adolescent girls in India.
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To tackle rising physical inactivity and associated health concerns among adolescents in India, a research team from Chennai conducted a study introducing a dance-based intervention to reduce non-communicable disease (NCD) risks among urban adolescent girls.

Published in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology on April 21, the study titled A Novel High-Intensity Short Interval Dance Intervention (THANDAV) for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Tailored to Asian Indian Adolescent Girls assesses the feasibility and efficacy of the THANDAV programme – short for Taking High-Intensity Interval Training And Dance to Adolescents for Victory over NCDs. It was led by R.M. Anjana, managing director of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre and president of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, in Chennai.

Design and delivery of the THANDAV model  

Dr. Anjana explained how this new dance-based program can help young girls in India become more active. She also addressed the cultural barriers often associated with traditional forms of exercise. “This is the first-of-its-kind and culturally appropriate dance intervention designed to boost physical activity among girls. In our country, the term ‘exercise’ often has negative connotations and isn’t always culturally accepted, especially for girls. So we introduced dance to make it more enjoyable and relevant,” she said.

The study was carried out in two government-aided schools in Chennai, involving 108 adolescent girls aged 13 to 15. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Those in the intervention group engaged in a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) dance programme, consisting of ten-minute sessions conducted five times a week during school hours. The routine incorporated traditional Indian dance forms and music for cultural familiarity and appeal. The control group continued with routine physical education, which served as a comparative benchmark for physical activity and health-related outcomes. 

“We started with a small pilot study to prove that it was a high-intensity activity. Now, we’ve taken it to schools through a randomised controlled trial, and the results have been very encouraging. The girls loved it, their mothers joined in, and we saw real health improvements — like reduced body fat, better metabolic profiles, increased step counts, and overall lifestyle changes,” Dr. Anjana said.

Key outcomes and statistical insights  

The study reports several statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups across multiple physical and metabolic indicators after 12 weeks. Girls in the THANDAV group showed a substantial increase in physical activity, averaging 1,159 additional steps per day. Reductions in body mass index (BMI), total body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio were also observed, suggesting improved metabolic health. 

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The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) launched new competency-based curricula for 10 allied healthcare professions in collaboration with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP).

The curricula will cover a broad spectrum of professions, such as Physiotherapy; Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health; Optometry; Nutrition and Dietetics; Dialysis Therapy Technology and Dialysis Therapy; Radiotherapy Technology; Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology; Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology; Health Information Management; and Physician Associates.

Aimed at bringing uniformity to training of allied healthcare professionals across the country, the new curricula is designed to produce globally competent professionals to address the increasing prevalence of diseases and the growing demand for allied services.

“India is skilling its healthcare professionals not just for India, but for the international market,’’ said the Union Health Ministry.

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that the comprehensive revision and standardisation of the curricula represent a pivotal step toward establishing consistency in educational content and delivery.

“India is skilling its healthcare professionals not just for India, but for the globe. The curricula launched today will set a benchmark for the quality of healthcare professionals across various faculties. These professions play a crucial role in preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare. This initiative is expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness of skill-based training, better align educational outcomes with industry needs, and promote greater career mobility and professional recognition for allied health professionals nationwide,” she said.

The Ministry maintained that the success of these curricula depends not only on their design and content but also on the strength of the systems that support their rollout, including adequate institutional preparedness, faculty training, infrastructure development, and continuous monitoring to uphold quality standards.

“Digital modules of the curriculum will be crowdsourced to make them available to all for their capacity building so that the vision of Swastha Bharat [Healthy Bharat] can be promoted,’’ the Health Secretary added.

The Ministry has also emphasised the critical importance of establishing robust regulatory mechanisms and investing in capacity building to ensure the effective implementation of the newly developed curricula.