https://arab.news/mu327
- Human Papillomavirus, spread through sexual contact, is a virus that can cause cancers
- Pakistan to vaccinate girls aged 9-14 from Sept. 15-27 in Sindh, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Health Minister Mustafa Kamal launched the country’s first Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on Monday, state media reported, which will run from Sept. 15-27 and aim to protect millions from cervical cancer.
HPV is a very common virus that can cause cancers later in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical experts recommend protecting children from these cancers through the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine series, as per the CDC, is most effective when given before a person is exposed to the virus. It is a very common virus that is spread through sexual contact and can live in the skin for many years without causing symptoms. In some cases, HPV can cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
“Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal launched HPV vaccination campaign today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported, adding that girls aged 9-14 years old will be given the vaccine.
According to the Federal Directorate of Immunization, Pakistan will hold the vaccination campaign from Sept. 15-27 in schools, religious seminaries and health facilities across Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Kamal stressed that over 5,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Pakistan each year, adding that approximately 3,500 of them lose their lives to the disease. The minister called on parents to ensure their daughters are vaccinated, emphasizing the importance of prevention to protect girls.
In 2025, UNICEF together with partners GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization, said it will support Pakistan to introduce the HPV vaccine to help protect millions of adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
It cited myths and taboos as one of the greatest challenges to HPV vaccine acceptance in Pakistan. These myths, it said, included ones that claimed vaccines cause infertility and another that the HPV vaccine is only for sexually active girls.