Former head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Delhi AIIMS gets Padma Shri

New Delhi: Dr Neerja Bhatla, Former head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the AIIMS Delhi has been awarded with the prestigious Padma Shri for her contribution in the detection, prevention and management of cervical cancer. Bhatla played a key role in creating resource-based guidelines for cervical cancer screening, management and HPV vaccination.

She has worked for the prevention and elimination of cervical cancer for the last 35 years in low-resource settings.

Bhatla has been a part of the team which conducted trials to establish the efficacy of the Serum Institute's indigenously developed HPV jab.

After retiring from AIIMS, she continued to lead numerous research projects in India on cervical cancer and prevention, including screening in low-resource settings, HPV epidemiology, trials on affordable HPV testing and vaccines.

The FIGO Gynecologic Cancer Management Map was developed under her leadership as the chairperson of International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).