Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal on Monday inaugurated Pakistan's first nationwide cervical cancer vaccination campaign at a girls' school in Islamabad.
The campaign, developed with support from Gavi and global health partners, aims to protect young girls from a preventable but deadly disease. The first phase, running from September 15 to 27, will cover Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Kashmir, targeting nearly 13 million girls aged 914.
The launch ceremony at Islamabad Model School for Girls, F-7/4, symbolically began with District Health Officer Dr Rashida Batool Syed administering the first vaccine to her daughter Zainab. Other students were also vaccinated, underscoring the government's commitment to protecting young lives.
Minister Kamal urged parents, especially mothers, to support the campaign, dismissing misinformation as "dangerous and baseless." He stressed that the vaccine is safe and effective, noting that cervical cancer claims more than 3,000 women's lives annually in Pakistan. Globally, around 800,000 women are diagnosed each year, with over 500,000 deaths.
The minister linked the campaign to wider health challenges, warning that Pakistan's overstretched health system cannot rely solely on curative care. He said costly cancer treatments have forced many families into debt and urged greater investment in prevention, sanitation, and awareness.
Highlighting persistent threats, Kamal noted that Pakistan remains the only country where polio has not been eradicated, with 64,000 refusals reported annually. He also cited unsafe water as the cause of 68% of illnesses and warned of dengue risks from stagnant floodwaters.
Senior health officials, WHO representatives, and education leaders attended the ceremony. WHO Pakistan's Head, Dr Dapeng Liu, praised the initiative as part of the global mission to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. Minister of State for Education Wajiha Akram called for mass awareness campaigns involving teachers, community leaders, and religious scholars.
International partners, including Gavi, were thanked for their technical and financial support. Officials described the initiative as a turning point in Pakistan's fight against preventable diseases.
Concluding the ceremony, Minister Kamal appealed to communities to back vaccination teams. "Together, we can protect our daughters, prevent unnecessary deaths, and secure a healthier future for Pakistan," he said.
WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ