BHIMBER (Kashmir English): District Health Officer (DHO) Bhimber, Dr. Iram Batool, has announced the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, aimed at protecting school-going girls aged 9 to 14 from cervical cancer.
In a review meeting, presided over by DC Bhimber Chaudhry Haq Nawaz, DHO Iram said that the campaign will run from September 15 to September 28 with the initial target of vaccinating 34,340 women across the district.
Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Health announced the launch of a national HPV vaccination campaign in response to the rising number of cervical cancer cases among Pakistani women.
The health officials said that the first phase of the HPV vaccine campaign will be conducted from September 15 to 27, covering Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, and Azad Kashmir.
Duign the meeting today, the DHO Bhimber briefed the officials that the vaccine will be administered across the district and that the training has been provided to the administration of all health units at DHQ, THQs, 4 RHCs, and 29 BHUs.
Health officials emphasized that cervical cancer is a significant health concern, with 3,000 women dying from the disease in Pakistan. The HPV vaccine is a safe and effective tool to protect young girls from this deadly disease.
DHO Bhimber said that the campaign is being run in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. “Efforts are being made to increase public awareness about the campaign through social media, TV, radio, and local community leaders,” she said.
Furthermore, Batool added that the HPV vaccine will be provided free of charge to girls aged 9 to 14 years, while screening of women between the ages of 15 and 45 will also be done during the campaign.
According to UNICEF, cervical cancer claims the lives of 3,200 women in Pakistan each year despite being preventable with the HPV vaccine. Yet, awareness about HPV and the importance of vaccination remains alarmingly low in the South Asian country.
