As India expands efforts to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer, a new WhatsApp chatbot is seeking to tackle one of the biggest barriers to vaccination: confusion.

Girl Effect India has launched Teeka Talk, a free chatbot designed to provide parents, carers, and educators with trusted information about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is being promoted under the government's vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls.

The launch comes at a crucial time. Around 80,000 Indian women die from cervical cancer every year, according to health estimates. Cervical cancer develops in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus, and is mainly caused by persistent infection with HPV, a common virus spread through skin-to-skin contact. Scientists and public health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), repeatedly state that HPV vaccination is a safe and highly effective way to prevent most cervical cancer cases.

Parents can start using Teeka Talk simply by sending "Hi" on WhatsApp. The chatbot offers short videos, image stories, frequently asked questions and myth-busting content in Hindi and English. It also guides users to the U-Win platform for vaccination registration.

"Parents today are making health decisions in an increasingly complex information environment," said Kavita Ayyagari, Country Director, Girl Effect India. "When it comes to HPV vaccination, families don't just need information — they need information they can trust, in a language they understand. Teeka Talk is about giving them the answers they seek, right at their fingertips."

Research published in journals including The Lancet and studies supported by the WHO and UNICEF have shown that HPV vaccination dramatically reduces infections linked to cervical cancer. Yet misinformation and unverified claims continue to circulate online, often leaving families uncertain about whether to vaccinate their daughters.

Teeka Talk aims to bridge that information gap. Public health experts say trusted, easy-to-access information could play a key role in helping families make informed decisions and reducing the future burden of one of India's most preventable cancers.