Health experts have raised a red flag: around 5,000 women in Pakistan are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and over 3,000 of them lose their lives. Globally, cervical cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.
To tackle this crisis, the Sindh Health Department is launching a 12-day Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign from September 15 to 27, aiming to immunize 4.1 million girls between the ages of 9 and 14 across the province. Starting in January 2026, routine HPV vaccination will also be introduced nationwide for nine-year-old girls.
This campaign is being carried out with support from Jhpiego, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and other partners. At a media briefing organized by Sindh’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in collaboration with Jhpiego, under the slogan “Healthy Daughter, Healthy Family,” experts highlighted the critical importance of the HPV vaccine and the role of media in busting myths and spreading awareness.
Dr. Khurram Akram, Technical Director at the Federal Directorate of Immunization, presented grim statistics: in 2022 alone, over 348,000 women died worldwide from cervical cancer. In Pakistan, about 5,008 cases are reported annually, with more than 3,000 deaths. He emphasized that cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women of reproductive age.
“Through active engagement with the media, we can ensure parents and communities understand the life-saving benefits of the HPV vaccine,” Dr. Akram said, calling it a guarantee of a safer future for young girls.
