The white paper, China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era, released by the State Council Information Office of China in September 2025, states: "Prioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services."
The Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) proposes goals to raise public awareness of, and improve the comprehensive ability in, the prevention of the "two cancers" — cervical cancer and breast cancer.
Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and a major threat to women's health. Clinical data suggests the HPV vaccines already on the Chinese market can prevent more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
In October 2025, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, the National Health Commission, the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, and four other departments released a notice that China would include the HPV vaccine in its national immunization program beginning November 10, 2025. Since then, in accordance with the announcement, girls aged 13 in China have been eligible to receive two doses of bivalent HPV vaccine, free of charge. The decision was intended to prevent spread of the disease, and to protect people's health.
In recent years, various localities, across China, have taken measures to include HPV vaccination in livelihood programs, as a pragmatic initiative to protect the health of women and children.
Protecting Women, Children's Health on Plateau
Qinghai Province, in Northwest China, has vast territory inhabited by people from various ethnic groups. To implement the Plan of Action for Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer (2023-2030), Qinghai harnesses efforts by various health, education and disease-control departments, as well as efforts by women's federations, to expand the coverage of HPV vaccination for middle-school-aged girls.
Qinghai has promoted vaccinations, in schools and in pasturing areas, to meet the needs of girls and their families, especially those living in the communities scattered across the plateau. Information related to HPV vaccination is explained to the public, in both Mandarin and the Tibetan language. Women's federations, at all levels in the region, have added HPV vaccination to events they have organized to promote medical knowledge that benefits women and children. Since November 2025, some 29,700 girls have received the HPV vaccine, free of charge.
Qinghai is planning to integrate HPV vaccination into the province's initiatives to provide free screening for the "two cancers," and to ensure the overall improvement of women and children's health. By promoting the importance of preventing cervical cancer, and by popularizing health-care knowledge, the province will continue protecting, firmly, the health of women and children on the plateau.
Effective, Affordable Way to Protect Women's Health
Health experts believe vaccination is the most effective and affordable way to prevent infection, and to lower the risk of cervical cancer and related diseases.
With the objectives of protecting women's health and benefitting people's livelihoods, Fujian Province, in Southeast China, launched free HPV vaccination for middle-school-aged girls in 2022. During the five successive years, HPV vaccination has been one of Fujian's livelihood initiatives to benefit residents. By the end of 2025, more than 700,000 girls, aged 13-14, had received the HPV vaccination in Fujian.
In addition to promoting free vaccination (two doses) of the bivalent HPV vaccine, included in China's national immunization program since November 10, 2025, Fujian has provided subsidies to girls who choose to receive other types of HPV vaccines, such as the imported bivalent, quadrivalent, 9-valent vaccine or the domestic 9-valent vaccine.
One mother, who accompanied her daughter to her HPV vaccination, during a weekend-vaccination event organized by a community health service center in Gulou District, Fuzhou (a city in Fujian), said, "I hope more families will learn about, and benefit from, the supportive health policies."
Fujian Women's Federation has promoted the importance of HPV vaccination. During the past five years, training has been provided to medical workers across the province.
Meeting People's Needs
Jiangxi Province, in East China, held a launch ceremony, on August 7, 2023, during which the province announced the addition of HPV vaccination, for middle-school-aged girls, to its livelihood initiatives. In fact, Jiangxi included HPV vaccination in the province's 10 major livelihood initiatives for the people that year. More than 850,000 girls have since received the free HPV vaccination.
Health departments across Jiangxi have organized various activities aimed at introducing and popularizing policies and benefits related to HPV vaccination, especially the vaccine's efficiency in lowering the risk of cervical cancer and related diseases. In 2023, some 487,000 people received the HPV vaccination.
To help girls arrange their vaccinations, residents can book appointments through an online platform. Maternal and child health institutions collaborate with disease-control and/or education departments to organize lectures, in schools, so girls in middle schools can receive basic information about cervical cancer prevention and HPV vaccination. Many vaccination sites in Jiangxi provide services during weekends, and during summer vacations. Such measures help ensure girls receive the vaccination in a timely manner, and that relevant policies and decisions can truly meet people's needs.
Collaborative Work System Facilitates HPV Vaccination
Hubei Province, in Central China, attaches great importance to the HPV vaccination of girls. Since 2024, the province has included HPV vaccination in its livelihood initiatives. This requires a collaborative work system, which involves both the provincial government's guidance and efforts by health, education and disease-control departments, as well as women's federations.
Since China added the HPV vaccine to its national immunization program, Hubei has taken concrete measures, including clarifying the various responsibilities shared by schools, disease-control institutions and grassroots medical-care institutions.
For example, relevant videos are popularized through media platforms and residents' chat groups. Posters and brochures are distributed in schools, and lectures, stressing relevant health tips, are organized in schools. Training is arranged for school principals and teachers. Vaccinations can be arranged for evenings or weekends, to better fit students' schedules, and door-to-door services are provided to students who have particular needs.
Given such actions, which facilitate HPV vaccination, Hubei has raised the percentage of girls who have been vaccinated. Many places, across the province, have ensured more than 70 percent of girls have received the first dose of bivalent HPV vaccine.
Pragmatic policies and all-round services, which benefit the people, have helped enhance the protection of women and children's health in China.
Photos from Office of Qinghai Provincial Working Committee on Children and Women, Office of Fujian Provincial Working Committee on Children and Women, Department of Maternal and Child Health of Jiangxi Provincial Health Commission, and Office of Hubei Provincial Working Committee on Children and Women
(Women of China English Monthly September 2026)
Editor: Wang Shasha
