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The Sindh government has announced a province-wide HPV vaccination campaign targeting school-going girls, with the initiative set to begin in September 2025.
The campaign aims to protect young girls aged 9 to 14 from cervical cancer, a disease that claims thousands of lives globally each year.
According to the Department of Health, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is 90 percent effective in preventing cervical cancer, making this a major step forward for public health in Sindh.
The program will be carried out in collaboration with the Department of Health and Population Welfare Department, ensuring comprehensive coverage across all districts.
In a significant move, the campaign will also include out-of-school girls, ensuring that no child is left behind due to the lack of access to formal education.
District Education Officers, covering Primary, Elementary, and Secondary levels, have been designated as focal persons to coordinate the campaign at the district level.
School administrations have been urged to fully cooperate with the vaccination teams from the Health Department during their visits.
By launching this campaign, Sindh becomes the first province to take such a proactive stance in the fight against cervical cancer, aiming to protect the health and future of thousands of young girls.
Earlier to this, it was reported that parents in Karachi have refused to vaccinate 41,800 children against polio this year, making the city a major challenge in Pakistan’s fight against the virus.
According to provincial data, 42,999 refusal cases were reported across Sindh, with 41,875 of them in Karachi alone. The remaining 1,124 cases came from other districts of the province.
Irshad Ali Sodhar, provincial coordinator of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC), stated that while refusal cases make up less than one percent of the total eligible child population, Karachi remains a high-risk zone due to persistent virus detection in environmental samples.
Authorities have identified over 80 high-risk union councils (UCs), with 27 UCs being targeted in the first phase of intensified vaccination efforts.
To counter vaccine hesitancy, the EOC has engaged 2,799 health centers, 2,900 schools and madrassas, and 3,442 community influencers, including teachers, religious scholars, and local leaders. Mosques have also been involved in spreading awareness during sermons.
A nationwide immunization drive launched in February 2025 aims to vaccinate over 1 million children in Karachi. The campaign uses jet injector technology for fractional inactivated polio vaccine (FIPV), providing a needle-free and stress-free experience for children.
Authorities urge parents to cooperate with vaccinators, emphasizing that both oral polio vaccine (OPV) and FIPV are crucial in eradicating polio and protecting future generations.
