Dr Azra Rejects Propaganda About HPV Vaccine, Hopes 4.1 Mln Girls To Be Vaccinated In Sindh

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2025) Sindh Minister for Health, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday announced the launch of a 12-day province-wide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign aimed at protecting young girls from cervical cancer.

The campaign, which underway across the province from September 15 to 27, targets the vaccination of 4.1 million girls aged 9 and 14 years, free of cost.

Speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club on Friday during a two-day vaccination camp organized for the children of journalists and members of the Karachi Press club by the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Dr. Pechuho shared that over 600,000 girls have already been vaccinated in the first five days of the campaign.

Expressing concern over misinformation being spread on social media, she condemned a disinformation campaign falsely claiming the vaccine to be unsafe. She emphasized that such baseless propaganda has no scientific foundation and is undermining efforts to safeguard public health.

“The Government of Sindh has filed a complaint under the Cyber Crime Act against those spreading misinformation about the HPV vaccine,” she said. “This vaccine is vital in protecting our girls from a deadly disease that affects more than 5,000 women in Pakistan every year, claiming around 3,000 lives.”

Dr. Pechuho appealed to political parties and religious organizations to support the campaign beyond political or ideological considerations. She also urged parents not to fall for the negative propaganda and to get their daughters vaccinated.

She praised the media for its role in raising awareness and highlighted that several female doctors, including gynecologists, have already had their own daughters vaccinated — demonstrating trust in the vaccine's safety and efficacy.

“All girls in our country are like our own daughters. It is our responsibility to protect them,” she added.

Responding to a question, Dr. Pechuho stated that she has written to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, recommending local production of the HPV vaccine to reduce the burden of foreign exchange on the national exchequer.

Also present at the event, medical experts including Project Director EPI Sindh Dr Raj Kumar, Prof. Dr. Halima Yasmeen, Dr. Nighat Shah, Dr. Farhat Qamar, and Dr. Khalid Shafi and UNICEF representative Suneel Kumar stressed the importance of the campaign, saying its core aim is to secure the future of young girls by preventing cervical cancer. They confirmed that their own daughters have received the HPV vaccine.

They also noted that with the inclusion of HPV, the EPI now offers a total of 13 vaccines to children free of charge.

According to EPI and UNICEF officials, despite the negative propaganda, parents continue to bring their daughters for vaccination. By Thursday, 600,000 girls across Sindh had already been vaccinated.

The HPV vaccination drive is being conducted in partnership with Sindh’s Health Department, EPI, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other health partners. The campaign is also being run simultaneously in Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, targeting girls aged 9–14 from September 15 to 27.

Two-day vaccination camp will continue on Saturday, aiming to further boost participation and awareness among media families and the public.