“HPV” Vaccine Campaign To Begin In Sindh From Sept 15 To Vaccinate 4.1 Mln Girls

Health Experts disclosed that cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, the HPV virus, particularly types 16 and 18, is responsible for nearly 70% of cervical cancer cases

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Sep, 2025) Health Experts disclosed that cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, the HPV virus, particularly types 16 and 18, is responsible for nearly 70% of cervical cancer cases.

Sindh Government is going to formally launch the "Human Papillomavirus" (HPV) Vaccine campaign from September 15 to 27 across the province to vaccinate 4.1 million girls aged 9 to 14 years.

Sindh Health department, with the support of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Jhpiego, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and other development partners would launch this campaign to protect girls aged 9–14 years against cervical cancer.

As part of the preparations, EPI Sindh in collaboration with Jhpiego organized a media briefing on HPV Vaccine Introduction under the theme “Protecting Girls, Preventing Cancer.” The event marked a historic milestone for Sindh’s immunization program and also attended by provincial leadership, health experts, development partners, and media professionals.

The session highlighted the importance of the HPV vaccine in protecting young girls against cervical cancer, addressed myths and misconceptions, and emphasized the critical role of the media in promoting positive messaging and raising awareness among communities across Sindh.

The event themed "Sehat Mand Beti, Sehat Mand Gharana" (Healthy Daughter, Healthy Family), marked a significant milestone in Pakistan's immunization program and was attended by government health representatives, health experts, development partners, and media professionals from local and provincial news channels.

Dr Khuram Akram Technical Director FDI highlighted the urgent need for the HPV vaccine in Pakistan by sharing national and global data on the burden of cervical cancer, with more than 348,000 deaths reported in 2022. In Pakistan alone, an estimated 5,008 women are diagnosed with the disease every year, and over 3,000 deaths occur, making it the third most common cancer among women of all ages and the second most common among women of reproductive age. Media's role in the successful introduction of the HPV vaccine against this deadly disease is very important.

The launch also introduced the phased rollout plan for the vaccine, which will begin in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir in 2025 before expanding to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026 and Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027.

Provincial Director Dr Raj Kumar stated that the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Sindh aims to vaccinate 4.1 million girls aged 9 to 14 years against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to prevent cervical cancer in Sindh Province.

He explained that this initiative will cover all 1,190 Union Councils across 30 districts. To achieve this, 3,611 teams will be deployed to schools, madrassas, and communities, as well as all EPI centers in Sindh. This vaccine has the potential to make Sindh & Pakistan free from Cervical Cancer which has mortality rate of above 65%.

He shared the campaign strategy as the first phase of the campaign consists of a 12-day vaccination drive, excluding Sundays, targeting girls aged 9–14 through both school-based and community-based outreach. While enrolled girls will be immunized at school whilst out-of-school girls will be vaccinated at community locations such as markets, parks, and vocational centers.

Fixed-site sessions at health facilities and mobile teams in hard-to-reach areas will further expand coverage, while catch-up doses will be available for girls who miss the initial campaign. Routine HPV vaccination for 9-year-old girls will start from Jan 2026, with annual outreach to schools ensuring that newly enrolled girls are protected.

Dilbar Khan, Project Lead for the HPV vaccine campaign from Jhpiego, highlighted the operational aspects of the rollout: “This campaign has been designed to reach every eligible girl, whether in school or out of school, through well-coordinated outreach, fixed-site sessions, and mobile teams.

Our focus on community engagement, micro-planning, and media collaboration will be critical in ensuring high coverage and long-term sustainability of HPV vaccination in Pakistan.”