Pakistan Launches HPV Vaccine Drive
Pakistan Launches Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive for Adolescent Girls
Islamabad – Pakistan has kicked off a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign aimed at preventing cervical cancer in women. The drive began on September 15 in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and will continue until September 27.
The campaign targets around 13 million girls aged 9 to 14, with a single-dose vaccine to be administered during this period.
However, sources revealed that so far, more than 3 million parents have refused the HPV vaccine for their daughters. Punjab leads with over 2.19 million refusals, followed by Sindh with 659,997, Azad Kashmir with 127,229, and Islamabad with 58,456.
The national campaign has set a goal to vaccinate 11.7 million girls across the country.
Earlier, Dr. Irshad Ali Jokhio, Director General of Health Services CDA, confirmed that the HPV vaccine will be included in Pakistan’s basic immunization program. Dr. Rozeena Khalid from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Pakistan, with a mortality rate surpassing breast cancer. She stressed that vaccinating adolescent girls is essential to reducing future cases.
With this campaign, Pakistan becomes the 150th country worldwide to introduce the HPV vaccine. Health officials have described the initiative as a historic step to protect adolescent girls, prevent cervical cancer, and ensure a healthier future for communities.
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