In a significant public health development, Punjab’s Ministers for Health and Education, Khawaja Imran Nazir and Rana Sikandar Hayat, have announced the launch of Pakistan’s first-ever national cervical cancer prevention initiative.
During a high-level meeting, officials decided that the program will begin in November and focus on vaccinating school-aged girls across the province. The campaign aims to immunize approximately 8 million girls between the ages of 9 and 14 against cervical cancer.
The vaccination drive will not be limited to public schools. It will also cover private educational institutions and religious seminaries (madrasas), with health department teams visiting campuses to administer the vaccine doses directly.
To ensure the program’s effective rollout and maximum coverage, a joint working group will be established to oversee coordination between the health and education departments.
This initiative marks a historic step in Pakistan’s fight against cervical cancer and is expected to significantly reduce the disease burden in the coming years.
