The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has been worried by the fact that the HPV vaccine in Pakistan and Sindh in particular is not well covered, as the federal government is already in the first phase of its countrywide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine campaign. The PMA has encouraged parents to make sure that girls between the age of 9 and 14 years are immunized against cervical cancer which kills thousands of girls every year in the country.
Nationwide HPV Vaccine Campaign
Pakistan launched the national HPV vaccine in Pakistan drive on September 15, 2025, in partnership with Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and the Federal Directorate of Immunization. The first phase covers Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The goal is to vaccinate nearly 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 and integrate the HPV vaccine into routine immunization for 9-year-olds.
The HPV vaccine is now free among all eligible girls announced by the government. Vaccinations are being done at schools, outreach locations, mobile teams, and fixed locations to access both urban and rural locations. The halal status of the vaccine has also been affirmed by religious scholars to deal with the issues raised by the community.
According to the Sindh Expanded Programme on Immunisation, overall provincial coverage reached around 57% by late September 2025. However, the lowest rate was noted in Karachi where the targeted 887,692 girls were only vaccinated against around 33%. The gaps in the district data are high with Keamari (12%), East (22%) and Central (27%) reporting the lowest coverage with District West recording the highest coverage at 65%.
The minimal advancement has been attributed by health officials to false information and vaccine scepticism. The coverage rate in Islamabad is lower than in Sindh, with reports showing that less than 20 percent of eligible girls in Pakistan have taken the HPV vaccine.
Challenges Affecting the HPV Vaccine in Pakistan
According to health experts, the common misinformation, rumors spread through social media, and the unawareness of the population are all the main factors contributing to the low uptake of HPV vaccine in Pakistan. According to the surveys, the level of knowledge of parents about cervical cancer and the preventive effect of HPV vaccine is very low, approximately 10 percent. The campaign has been sluggish because of communication problems and lack of community participation even when close to 49,000 vaccinators have been trained in the country.
Cervical cancer is also one of the most prevalent cancers in Pakistan with more than 5,000 new cases and more than 3,000 deaths per annum among the women. HPV 16 and 18 are the causative factors of almost 88 percent of invasive cervical cancers. Health authorities intend to include HPV vaccine into the regular immunization program in Pakistan so as to maintain the coverage and avert future incidences.
The government is expected to intensify school counseling, parent outreach, and community mobilization in the coming months to increase HPV vaccination rates. Public health officials continue to emphasize that the HPV vaccine is a safe and effective tool to prevent cervical cancer and protect future generations.
 has been worried by the fact that the HPV vaccine in Pakistan and Sindh in particular is not well covered, as the federal government is already in the first phase of its countrywide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine campaign. The PMA has encouraged parents to make sure that girls between the age of 9 and 14 years are immunized against cervical cancer which kills thousands of girls every year in the country.){kind=link}