Sign in Subscribe
Vaccines

Historic HPV Vaccine Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer in Pakistan

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to launch a historic campaign to prevent cervical cancer in the country. The campaign will train over 49,000 health workers to administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 years across Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir from September 15 to 27. Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer among women in Pakistan, with a high mortality rate attributed to delayed diagnoses and limited access to screening programs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The campaign will target 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 years across four provinces, making it one of the largest vaccination campaigns in Pakistan's history.
  • Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer among women in Pakistan, with over 5,000 new cases reported annually, resulting in 3,200 deaths (64%).
  • A WHO study conducted across 18 healthcare facilities in Pakistan documented 1,580 cases of cervical cancer, indicating a significant underestimation of the disease burden due to low screening rates.
  • The HPV vaccine campaign is expected to reduce the cervical cancer disease burden in Pakistan by at least 3-fold over the next 7 decades in the absence of vaccination.
  • The campaign is supported by funding from GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, and technical guidance from the WHO, the Pakistan Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
  • The World Health Assembly's Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination aims to achieve 90% full vaccination of girls with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age, 70% screening of women, and 90% treatment of women with pre-cancer or invasive cancer by 2030.
  • The phased introduction of the HPV vaccine will pave the way for its eventual rollout in other provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027, and further strengthening Pakistan's routine immunization program.

Statistics:

  • 49,000 health workers to be trained for the HPV vaccine campaign
  • 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 years to be vaccinated across four provinces
  • 73.8 million female population aged 15 years and older at risk of cervical cancer in Pakistan
  • 5,000 new cases of cervical cancer reported annually in women
  • 3,200 deaths (64%) due to cervical cancer annually
  • 1,580 cases of cervical cancer documented in a WHO study across 18 healthcare facilities in Pakistan
  • 3-fold reduction in cervical cancer disease burden expected over the next 7 decades in the absence of vaccination

Sources:

  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Government of Pakistan
  • Pakistan Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI)
  • Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
  • GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance
  • World Health Assembly's Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination
  • WHO study conducted across 18 healthcare facilities in Pakistan (2021-2023)

Read more