Just a few weeks ago, a 44-year-old woman walked into my clinic with unusual vaginal bleeding. My examination findings were strongly suggestive of advanced cervical cancer. My worst fears were confirmed after further investigations.
The painful truth was that, as a gynaecologist, this was not the first piece of cervical cancer–related bad news I had to deliver in my career. What makes it even more difficult to accept that cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease, yet countless women in Pakistan continue to face it in silence and without timely intervention.
Globally, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women. According to the World Health Organisation, there were an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020, making it the third most common malignancy among women. Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with a 50 per cent lifetime risk of infection for both men and women.
In Pakistan, the picture is even more concerning. With over 73 million women aged 15 years and older at risk. More than 5,000 new cases are reported annually, and 64 per cent of these women die due to late diagnosis and inadequate screening. According to a study, the true burden is much greater due to the absence of a national cancer registry and extremely low screening rates.
Against this backdrop, Pakistan’s first nationwide HPV vaccine campaign, supported by Unicef and WHO, will run from September 15 to 27 (2025) and marks a historic landmark. The programme aims to reach 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 across Punjab, Sindh, the Islamabad Capital Territory and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Even more promising is the planned inclusion of the HPV vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), ensuring long-term sustainability. The phased launch, expanding to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026 and Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027, will strengthen routine immunisation and move Pakistan closer to global elimination goals.
The campaign advances the WHO goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, which aims for 90 per cent of girls vaccinated by the age 15; 70 per cent of women screened; and 90 per cent of women with pre-cancer or invasive cancer receiving timely treatment. The WHO views this campaign as a revolutionary step towards a future where every girl in Pakistan is protected from cervical cancer.
Yet, the road ahead is not without challenges. About 36 per cent of Pakistani girls between the ages of 9 and 14 are out of school, making it difficult to reach them through school-based vaccination. In addition, Pakistan’s cervical cancer screening is purely opportunistic, with only 1.5–2 per cent of the women’s population ever screened. Without a national screening programme, most cases are diagnosed late, when treatment options are limited.
When I began my training as a gynaecologist ten years ago, I joined community outreach teams in Islamabad, performing simple visual inspections and referring women for cervical screening to the tertiary care unit. I recall that women flocked to the basic health units for their assessments. Even back then, I believed that if women were given the chance, they would step forward to protect their health. That potential remains, but it will take unwavering commitment to make this HPV vaccine campaign a life-changing reality.
To promote greater acceptance of HPV vaccination in communities across Pakistan, a multifaceted approach is essential, emphasising both health education and cultural sensitivity. The HPV vaccine should be presented not simply as a means of protection against a sexually transmitted infection, but as a proven shield against cervical cancer, which claims thousands of Pakistani women every year. Engaging the Council of Islamic Ideology and securing religious endorsements could be pivotal in Pakistan’s HPV vaccine rollout.
Providing parental consent forms and pre-vaccination counselling sessions can further address concerns around vaccine safety and efficacy. Engaging doctors and influencers to spread clear content in Urdu and regional languages, while showcasing success stories from Muslim and developing countries to prove HPV vaccination is compatible with Islamic values and acceptable globally.
Internationally, cervical cancer is responsible for one in four cancer orphans. It is a social tragedy, where a preventable disease claims the lives of women who leave behind devastated families. In Pakistan, women already face multiple barriers to healthcare, where lower value for women’s health, delayed diagnoses, and lack of empowerment often force them to suffer without seeking medical help. The HPV vaccine offers a rare chance to rewrite this story, but only if prevention is embraced as a shared responsibility
Pakistan’s HPV vaccine campaign is more than a health promotion campaign. It is a lifesaving opportunity for millions of girls. For the first time, we have the tools to stop a deadly cancer before it takes root. The challenge now is to ensure that every girl, whether in school or out, in cities or in villages, can access this vital vaccine.
As a gynaecologist who has witnessed the devastating consequences of cervical cancer firsthand, I urge parents, teachers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders to rally behind this campaign. If we combine vaccination, awareness, screening, and empowerment, we can make cervical cancer a disease of the past in Pakistan. Our will to act is all that stands between despair and hope.
The writer is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.