Pakistan Launches HPV Vaccine Pilot Project to Prevent Cervical Cancer

The government of Pakistan has expressed serious concern over the rising rate of cervical cancer among women and has decided to introduce the HPV vaccine as part of a nationwide prevention strategy.

According to official sources, a pilot vaccination project has been prepared under which girls aged 9 to 14 years will receive the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.

The vaccination campaign will be held from September 15 to 27, and the vaccine will be introduced in phases.

In the first phase, the HPV vaccine will be administered in Sindh, Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad. The project will expand to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026 and then to Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027.

Officials say this is a major step toward improving women’s health and reducing the risk of one of the most preventable types of cancer through early intervention.