- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): Pakistan joins the world in marking the inaugural World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, a global health milestone designated by the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly.
The day builds on the historic pledge of 17th November 2020, when 194 nations committed to the WHO’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, said a press release on Monday.
Earlier this year, the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), with support from Gavi and civil-society partners such as the Dopasi Foundation, launched Pakistan’s first HPV vaccination campaign. More than 13 million girls aged 9–14 in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) received the free vaccine in schools and health facilities. From 1 January 2026, the HPV vaccine will be formally integrated into Pakistan’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), ensuring routine protection for all eligible girls.
To observe the importance of this global day and reinforce public awareness on prevention, the Dopasi Foundation also organized a cervical cancer awareness walk in the federal capital, engaging communities, youth and health workers to highlight the urgency of early protection and sustained action.
Cervical cancer remains a pressing public-health issue in Pakistan, with over 5,000 new cases and about 3,000 deaths each year. As the world observed this first-ever elimination day, Pakistan’s swift, coordinated action — through mass vaccination, public-engagement campaigns and community-based activities — shows how strong partnerships, trained health workers and clear messaging can turn a global goal into a tangible reality.