KEY POINTS
- HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer, killing 3,000 women yearly in Pakistan.
- Pakistan is the 151st country to introduce the vaccine, targeting girls aged 9–14.
- Government aims to meet WHO’s 2030 cervical cancer elimination targets.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Saturday publicly had his teenage daughter vaccinated against cervical cancer, in a bid to dispel rumours and misinformation surrounding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
The event, held at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) office in Karachi, came amid an ongoing nationwide vaccination campaign that has faced resistance due to false claims about the vaccine’s safety.
“I had never brought my family into the public eye in my 30-year political career,” Kamal, Health Minister and former Karachi mayor, told reporters.
“But to put an end to these baseless rumours, I insisted my only daughter, Rija Kamal, be vaccinated in front of the media. If this vaccine had any flaws, I would never have allowed her to receive it.”
The minister said his act was meant to reassure the public that the HPV vaccine is safe and vital for preventing cervical cancer, which kills nearly 3,000 Pakistani women every year.
“Just as my daughter is dear to me, the daughters of this nation are equally precious. Our purpose is to protect lives and seek Allah’s approval,” the minister said.
Kamal stressed that more than 150 countries had already introduced HPV vaccination, with Pakistan becoming the 151st. “The vaccination against cervical cancer has already been carried out in almost all Islamic countries,” he added.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says cervical cancer is one of the most preventable yet deadly diseases, claiming one life every two minutes globally. It is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide but the second most common among Pakistani women.
Each year more than 5,000 Pakistani women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to WHO, and almost 60 percent of them die.
HPV is the most widespread viral infection of the reproductive tract. While most infections clear naturally, persistent high-risk strains can lead to cervical cancer.
The vaccine is considered more than 90 percent effective against high-risk HPV infections, preventing nearly 17 deaths per 1,000 girls vaccinated.
Pakistan launched the first phase of its HPV vaccination campaign on 15 September, targeting girls between nine and 14 years of age in Islamabad, Sindh, Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
The 12-day campaign, delivered primarily through schools, will eventually be integrated into the national immunisation programme and aims to reach almost 18 million girls across the country.
The government hopes the rollout will put Pakistan on track to meet WHO’s global targets for eliminating cervical cancer by 2030 – vaccinating 90 percent of girls by age 15, screening 70 percent of women, and ensuring 90 percent of patients receive timely treatment.
Kamal urged critics of the vaccine to “correct themselves instead of misleading the nation,” warning that the healthcare system could not cope with the burden of treatment for all.
“Prevention is always better than cure,” he said. “This vaccine is a shield of protection, not a matter for controversy.”
