ISLAMABAD, Sep 24 (APP): State Minister for National Health, Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, on Wednesday said that Pakistan’s ongoing HPV vaccination drive was not just a health campaign but “a promise of a healthier future for our daughters.”
He made these remarks during his visit to the vaccination center at Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMSG), G-6/1-3, where he witnessed the campaign in action. The event was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination (MoNHSR&C).
More than 4.5 million families across Pakistan have already pledged to protect their daughters from cervical cancer by saying yes to the HPV vaccine, a milestone in the country’s public health journey. The number continues to rise as the national vaccination campaign runs until 27 September 2025.
Dr. Bharath emphasized that every girl vaccinated represents a life protected, a family safeguarded, and a future secured.
He noted that cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women in Pakistan, with two out of three women diagnosed not surviving. He stressed that the HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and scientifically proven, preventing more deaths per person vaccinated than any other immunization.
Reassuring parents, the minister underlined that the vaccine is halal, endorsed by leading Islamic scholars, and already part of immunization programs in Muslim-majority countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Qatar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
Pakistan’s HPV vaccination initiative is aligned with the World Health Organization’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, which aims to vaccinate 90 percent of girls worldwide against HPV by 2030. Phase 1 of the campaign (15–27 September 2025) is covering Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Phase 2 will expand to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026, while Phase 3 will reach Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027.
The target is to vaccinate 90 percent of girls aged 9–14 years in Phase 1 regions by the end of 2025, and to sustain this through routine immunization in coming years.
Dr. Bharath lauded the contributions of the Ministry of National Health Services, FDI, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, provincial health departments, teachers, frontline health workers, community mobilizers, civil society, and religious leaders. He also praised parents and influencers encouraging others to vaccinate their daughters.
“The HPV vaccine is safe, free, and available to every eligible girl. By protecting their health today, we are safeguarding their education, their future, and their ability to contribute to society,” he concluded, urging collective support until every eligible girl is reached.