ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received the complete supply of the cervical cancer vaccine for its first-ever nationwide immunization drive, health officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to details, UNICEF has delivered the final consignment of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, bringing the total to 13 million doses along with 13 million syringes of 0.3 ml capacity. The vaccines and syringes, valued at Rs10 billion, have been donated to Pakistan by the global health alliance Gavi.
The nationwide anti-cervical cancer vaccination campaign will run from September 15 to 27 across Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad. The initiative primarily targets school-going girls between the ages of 9 and 14, with registration for the campaign already underway.
Health officials said the campaign will be implemented through fixed vaccination sites, community health centers, and mobile vaccination units to ensure broad coverage. In addition, school health teams will directly administer the HPV vaccine in educational institutions to reach the largest number of eligible girls.
Each eligible child will receive a single dose of the vaccine, which has been proven to drastically reduce the risk of cervical cancer. The disease, if left untreated, remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide but is considered highly preventable through vaccination.
To raise awareness among parents, voice messages and other communication tools will be used to highlight the benefits and safety of the HPV vaccine. Officials emphasized that the initiative represents a major milestone in Pakistan’s public health history, as the country joins global efforts to protect future generations of women from a deadly yet preventable illness.
