Pakistan is moving a step closer to global health goals as Punjab integrates the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunisation schedule. The campaign, starting September 15, seeks to vaccinate 8 million girls aged 9 to 14 years against a virus that causes cervical cancer.
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This aligns with the 71st World Health Assembly Resolution, which set the 90-70-90 target for eliminating cervical cancer by 2030: 90 percent of girls vaccinated by age 15, 70 percent of women screened by midlife, and 90 percent of patients receiving care.
Punjab’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has developed detailed plans to meet the challenge. While 5.5 million school-going girls are expected to receive the vaccine through schools, reaching 2.5 million out-of-school girls remains difficult due to floods and social barriers.
According to WHO data, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women in Pakistan, and the second most common among women aged 15–44. The vaccine, once restricted to private hospitals and priced beyond affordability, will now be given free of charge.
Dr Samra Khurram, Director of Punjab EPI, said lessons from over 144 countries, including Muslim-majority nations, have informed the campaign. She added that outreach will cover remote areas, prisons, orphanages, and informal settlements to ensure no girl is left behind.
Health officials stress that this is the first vaccine in the national programme targeting adolescents rather than children under five, marking a new phase in Pakistan’s public health efforts.
