Pakistan 'receives' full supply of cervical cancer vaccine

Pakistan received a full supply of cervical cancer vaccine for the nationwide drive, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

As per details, sources confirmed that Pakistan has received the final consignment of the HPV vaccine, completing the supply required for the national cervical cancer immunization drive.

According to details, UNICEF has supplied a total of 13 million doses of the HPV vaccine along with 13 million syringes of 0.3 ml capacity.

The combined value of vaccines and syringes provided to Pakistan stands at Rs10 billion.

The vaccines and syringes have been donated by the global health alliance Gavi.

The nationwide anti-cervical cancer vaccination campaign will be conducted from September 15 to 27 across Punjab, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad.

According to health officials, the campaign is focused on school-going girls within the age bracket of 9 to 14 years, and their registration is currently ongoing.

To raise awareness among parents, voice messages will be sent out informing them about the benefits and safety of the HPV vaccine.

The campaign will be implemented through fixed vaccination sites and community centers, with mobile vaccination units also deployed to ensure broad access.

In addition, health department teams will administer the vaccine directly in schools, sources added.

Each eligible girl will receive one dose of the HPV vaccine, which is known to significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer—a preventable yet deadly disease if left untreated.

The initiative marks a major milestone in Pakistan’s public health efforts, aiming to protect future generations of women from a life-threatening but preventable illness.